XOSS     G,3 


ialifomia 

gional 

)ility 


C ATA  LOG  U  E 


LEATHJER 

BOOK  BINDINGS 

EXECUTE#IN 

AME^irCA 

BEFOiR>^ 


269 
G7 


M^^m^: 


IE  GROLIER  CtUfe 

29  EAST  23D  STREET 

NEW  YORK 


.^^- 


CATALOGUE  OF  ORNAMENTAL 

LEATHER  BOOKBINDINGS 

EXECUTED  IN  AMERICA 

PRIOR  TO  1850 


EXHIBITED  AT 

THE  GROLIER  CLUB 

NOVEMBER  7  TO  30 

1907 


^ 


"^0^^  GcS 


UBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

SAMTA  BARBAiiA* 


c.\ 


NOTE 


IT  is  often  said  that  bookbinding  as  a  fine 
art  did  not  exist  in  America  before  the  time 
of  William  Matthews.  That  the  business  of 
bookbinding  was  followed  in  the  Colonies 
and  that  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth 
centuries  produced  many  binders  of  books, 
some  known  by  name,  but  more  of  them 
unknown,  cannot  be  doubted  by  readers  of 
such  admirable  works  as  Isaiah  Thomas's 
History  of  Printing  in  America  and  Le- 
ander  Bishop's  History  of  American  Manu- 
factures, nor  by  the  collector  of  the  printed 
books  of  these  periods.  From  these  two 
writers  we  learn  that  a  binder  named  John 
Sanders  took  the  freeman's  oath  in  Boston  as 
early  as  1636,  before  any  printing  even  had 
been  done  there,  and  that  one  John  Ratliffe 
was  employed  on  Eliot's  Indian  Bible,  which, 
when  published,  bore  the  date  of  1663,  hav- 
ing come  from  England  for  this  purpose.  In- 
deed, the  binding  of  these  Bibles,  Ratliffe 
said,  in  a  petition  to  the  Commissioners  in 
1664,  was  "the  only  incouraging  work  which 
upon  good  Intelligence  caused  me  to  trans- 
porte  myself,  and  family  into  New  England." 
Of  the  ninety  or  more  booksellers  who 
carried  on  businessin Boston  before  the  Revo- 
lution, over  thirty  had  binderies,  also,  at- 
tached to  their  establishments,  and  a  number 

iii 


NOTE 

of  them  confined  their  attention  chiefly  to 
this  branch  of  book-making. 

Even  a  casual  glance  at  the  newsletters 
shows  that  the  early  settlers  soon  began  to 
bring  over  from  home  the  books  which  were 
necessary  to  their  literary  and  spiritual  well- 
being,  some  bound  and  some  in  sheets  to  be 
bound  after  their  arrival.  In  January,  1770, 
Alexander  Hamilton  laid  before  the  House  of 
Representatives  his  able  and  voluminous  re- 
port on  the  subject  of  manufactures,  calling 
attention  to  the  large  number  of  printing 
presses  as  sufficient  to  render  us  independent 
of  "foreign  countries"  and  recommending  a 
duty  of  ten  per  cent,  instead  of  five  as  an  aid 
to  the  business  at  home.  "  To  encourage  the 
printing  of  books,"  he  said,  "  would  also  en- 
courage the  manufacture  of  papers  "  as  well 
as,  he  might  have  added,  all  of  the  rest  of  the 
book  arts- 
Certain  it  is,  that  something,  either  the 
tariff  or  the  progressive  zeal  of  the  people,  led 
to  an  enormous  production  of  books  in  the 
first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  and  to  the 
binding  of  books  in  a  style  whichcompletely 
overshadowed  those  of  the  middle  of  the 
same  century. 

It  devolved  upon  a  former  president  of 
the  Grolier  Club,  and  a  most  enthusiastic 
lover  of  books,  Mr.  William  Loring  Andrews, 
to  point  out  that  the  eighteenth  century  pro- 
ducers of  books  attempted  to  infuse  into  their 
productions  something  of  the  element  of  the 
beautiful  and  that  with  no  small  success.  In 
his  delightful  essay  Bibliopegy  in  the   United 

iv 


NOTE 

States,  Mr.  Andrews  treats  this  subject  in  a 
manner  calculated  to  awaken  the  interest  of 
those  who  had  not  previously  considered  it  a 
matter  worthy  of  consideration,  and  so  as  to 
stimulate  the  enthusiasm  of  those  who  had 
already  arrived  at  his  conclusions. 

Bishop  and  Thomas,  as  we  have  said,  called 
attention  to  the  important  part  played  by  the 
early  binder,  but  without  giving  any  of  the 
information  that  is  necessary  to  the  complete 
history  of  the  craft,  and  especially  to  its  con- 
siderations to  be  ranked  as  an  art — what 
leathers,  papers,  and  gold  were  used,  what 
tools  were  employed,  what  the  character  of 
the  tools  were,  and  what  the  quality  of  the 
workmanship.  Mr.  Andrews,  while  touching 
upon  all  of  these  matters,  could  not,in  the  length 
of  his  essay,  go  into  such  things  in  details  and 
with  the  broad  generalizations  that  come  from 
the  study  of  a  large  number  of  the  same  class 
of  books.  It  is  only  in  an  exhibition  like  this 
that  such  materials  can  be  found.  Here 
spread  out  in  carefully  planned  classes  the 
student,  and  even  the  casual  observer,  may 
see  the  development  of  the  desire  which  prob- 
ably actuates  any  and  all  workmen  to  add 
something  of  the  ornamental  to  their  more 
ambitious  productions.  Here,  in  a  collection 
chiefly  brought  together  by  the  able  hand  of 
a  single  wise  collector,  one  may  find  answers 
to  many  of  these  questions  which  may 
be  asked  concerning  our  early  book-makers, 
and  which  the  pioneer  writers  on  the  subject 
have  left  unanswered. 

The  answers  to  the  questions  concerning 


NOTE 

leathers  and  papers  are  comparatively  simple, 
notwithstanding  that  they  involve  quite 
separate  trades.  To  study  the  materials  on 
the  books  before  us  is  to  trace  the  history  of 
the  rise  and  growth  of  the  two  important  in- 
dustries from  the  earliest  period,  when  the 
simplest  forms  of  sheep  and  calf  were  the 
only  leathers  to  be  had  in  the  Colonies  to  the 
time  of  the  Centennial  at  Philadelphia,  when 
a  wide  variety  of  leathers  had  begun  to  be 
used ;  it  is  to  find  them  all  poorly  treated,  thin 
in  weight  and  elementary  in  color.  The 
native  leathers  were,  in  course  of  time,  mixed 
with  a  fusion  from  England  and  possibly  from 
other  places,  but  even  the  importations, 
while  adding  variety,  did  not  improve  the 
quality  since  it  was  a  period  of  split  leathers 
of  poor  grades  all  over  Europe.  To  follow 
out  this  branch  of  the  binder's  art  would  be  to 
follow  the  history  of  the  tannery  from  its 
simple  beginning  and  the  spread  of  an  in- 
dustry, which  to-day  furnishes  important 
figures  to  the  statistician. 

The  early  historians  of  printing  in  America 
give  much  space  to  the  consideration  of  paper 
and  paper-making  from  the  time  when  the 
first  mill  was  started  in  Roxborough,  near 
Philadelphia,  by  William  Rittinghuysen,  in 
1690,  to  the  latest  developments  that  come 
under  their  personal  observation.  The  curi- 
ous in  these  matters  are  referred  to  Joel 
Munsell's  Chronology  of  the  origin  and  develop- 
ment of  Papermaking^  printed  at  Albany  in 
1856  and  to  its  succeeding  editions.  While 
the  matter  may  seem  to  be  one  of  small  im- 

vi 


NOTE 

portance  in  the  consideration  of  leather- 
bound  books,  nevertheless  it  is  a  problem 
to  be  reckoned  with.  Here  we  may  see  in 
the  end-papers  the  transition  from  the  white 
papers  of  the  eighteenth  century  to  the  newly 
invented  mottled  and  marbled  papers  of 
various  hues  of  the  early  nineteenth  century 
mixed  later  on  with  the  highly  calendared, 
thick,  colored  papers  of  the  autograph  and 
floral  albums.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note, 
that  it  was  not  until  quite  recently,  until  the 
time  of  William  Morris  and  his  school,  in 
fact,  that  anything  like  variety  or  taste  in  end- 
papers was  made  possible  to  the  professional 
binder. 

More  difficult  are  the  questions  to  be 
answered  about  gold  and  tools. 

Although  we  cannot  state  it  as  a  positive 
fact,  it  seems  reasonable  to  infer  that  the  gold 
used  by  the  early  binders  was  imported  from 
England.  Its  quality  was  of  the  best,  a  sur- 
vey of  the  books  here  under  consideration 
showing  it  to  have  stood  the  test  of  time  per- 
fectly, putting  to  shame  much  of  the  gilding 
of  later  times  as  seen  in  the  works  of  many 
more  sophisticated  binders,  English  as  well  as 
American.  In  color  it  is  generally  light ;  it 
is  light  also  in  quantity,  but  in  this  it  resembles 
the  gold  of  the  period  both  in  England  and 
in  France. 

The  tooling  in  some  cases,  notably  Nos. 
36  and  40-42,  was  firm  and  solid.  This 
matter  of  tools  is  the  most  important  in  the 
consideration  of  binding,  for  upon  the  quality 
of    the    tool    depends    the     quahty  of    the 

vii 


NOTE 

work,  especially  in  so  far  as  delicacy  and 
style  are  concerned.  Whether  tool-makers 
were  to  be  found  in  the  Colonies  is  not 
vouchsafed  to  us  to  know,  nor  when  they 
became  a  recognized  company  of  workers. 
Judging  from  the  fact  that  to-day  the  city 
of  New  York  boasts  only  a  few  cutters  of 
binders'  petit  fers,  and  that  most  of  the 
finer  kinds  of  tools  are  made  in  France, 
we  shall  not  think  our  forefathers  un- 
progressive  if  they,  too,  were  content  to 
fetch  their  implements  from  abroad.  In  1 800 
the  "  tools  of  the  trade  or  profession  of  persons 
who  come  to  reside  in  the  United  States  " 
were  entered  free  of  duty  and  this  fact  will 
account  for  the  styles,  which,  as  we  presently 
shall  see,  were  in  vogue  at  that  period  with 
the  many  binders  whose  names  begin  to  ap- 
'pear  in  the  directories.  Reference  to  the 
books  will  show  what  is  carefully  noted  in 
the  catalogue,  that  the  binders  of  different 
places  seem  to  have  used  the  same  tools  or 
rolls,  thereby  indicating  either  that  they  ob- 
tained them  from  a  common  source  or  else 
that  they  borrowed  from  each  other.  Should 
it  happen  that  with  fiu^ther  research  it  is 
learned  that  the  early  binders'  tools  were 
made  at  home,  the  results  of  the  tooling  will 
stand  even  more  to  the  credit  of  the  early 
workman  than  they  do  at  present. 

The  earliest  bindings,  like  some  of  those  in 
Case  I,  were  of  the  simplest  sort.  They  were 
usually  well  sewed,  or  tied  into  beech  or  oak 
boards,  cut  quite  thin  though  not  over-care- 
fully,  having  white  paper  on  one  side  for  end- 

vin 


NOTE 

papers,  and  then  covered  with  sheep  or  calf, 
a  small  margin  of  the  leather  being  turned 
over  the  edges  of  the  paper-covered  side  and 
strongly  glued  down.  This  form  of  binding 
lasted  through  the  seventeenth  century,  until, 
in  fact,  the  introduction  of  "boards"  or  heavy 
pasteboard,  and  marbled  papers.  Mottled 
calf  and  marbled  effects  soon  came  into  vogue, 
following  the  adoption  of  these  varieties  in 
England,  where  the  fashion  got  a  strong  hold, 
though  it  had  but  a  brief  day  in  France. 

The  sheep-bound  books  of  the  seventeenth 
century  are  all  Wind  tooled  with  a  simple 
pattern  of  one  or  two  fillets  forming  panels  on 
the  covers  and  having  at  the  corners  the  con- 
ventionalized flower  form  invariably  found  in 
the  books  of  the  same  period  in  England, 
usually  ascribed  to  Samuel  Mearne,  book- 
binder to  Charles  II.  The  simple  geometrical 
design  was  the  foundation  for  almost  all  of 
the  patterns  used  on  American  bookbinding 
of  the  seventeenth,  eighteenth,  and  early  nine- 
teenth centuries.  This  is  no  doubt  partly  due 
to  the  fact  that  in  the  binding  in  England 
during  these  periods  as  well  as  in  France  dur- 
ing the  late  eighteenth  century  and  the  early 
part  of  the  following  century  the  straight  line 
predominated ;  interlacing  bands,  scrolls,  and 
other  Italian  and  early  French  forms  being 
almost  entirely  unused. 

The  simple  Wind  fillet  or  combination  of 
fillets  soon  gave  place  to  narrow  gold  rolls 
of  the  severest  form,  little  more  than  broad 
lines,  or  a  narrow  Greek  meander,  double 
or  triple  lines  with  dots  and  leaves,  and  by  the 

ix 


NOTE 

beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  lines 
were  sometimes  replaced  by  gold-tooled  run- 
ning patterns  made  up  of  single  tools.  By 
the  end  of  this  century  lines  had  become 
borders,  some  wide,  some  narrow,  with  small 
comer-pieces  and  centerpieces.  By  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century,  especially 
in  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  the  borders 
had  become  quite  elaborate  mixtures  of 
gold  and  blind  tooling,  made  up  of  rolls, 
stamps,  and  sometimes  small  tools,  with  heavy 
comer-pieces  and  center  ornaments  composed 
of  small  tools.  Later,  the  fashion,  more 
French  than  Enghsh,  of  using  large  blocks 
for  the  covers  began  to  have  a  vogue. 

In  the  arrangement  of  the  ornament  on 
the  backs  of  the  books  we  find  the  earliest 
examples  broken  up  into  panels,  each  panel 
being  treated  separately  in  the  obvious  way  of 
border,  comer-piece  and  centerpiece,  more 
or  less  elaborated  according  to  the  period  and 
the  style  of  ornament  then  in  vogue.  It  is  to 
be  remarked  that  the  titles  of  many  of  these 
books,  following  a  purely  American  fashion, 
were  often  placed  in  the  centers  of  the 
backs. 

This,  then,  being  the  universal  plan  of  the 
design,  what  was  the  character  of  the  small 
tools,  rolls,  or  stamps  used  in  its  make-up  ? 
Obviously,  with  the  close  relation  existing 
between  the  Colonies  and  the  Mother  Coun- 
try the  binders  would  have  borrowed  their 
styles  from  her,  and  this  seems  to  have  been 
the  case.  The  single  stamps  used  at  the 
corners  of  the  sheep-bound  seventeenth  and 


NOTE 

early  eighteenth-century  books,  especially  as 
found  in  Boston,  were,  as  already  shown,  the 
same  exactly  as  those  used  in  England  at  a 
slightly  earlier  period.  By  the  end  of  the 
century  the  tools  became  delicate  and  the 
patterns  were  applied  with  skill,  more  sug- 
gestive of  French  models  than  English,  indeed 
many  of  the  tools  used  in  Boston  were  identi- 
cal with  those  used  in  Paris.  The  little 
sprigs,  leaves,  flowers,  and  emblems  were 
characteristic  of  both  countries  at  this  time. 
To  this  period  belong  the  ornaments  which 
we  are  wont  to  call  "  Colonial,"  and  which 
we  think  of  as  English, 

This  period  and  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  were  specially  interesting  in 
the  history  of  bookbinding  in  England  and 
France.  There  was  an  influx  of  French 
refugees  into  England  at  the  end  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century.  The  Comte  de  Caumont, 
the  grandson  of  the  Mar^chal  de  Fauqui^re 
and  several  others,  who,  before  the  troubles 
in  France  had  followed  the  art  of  binding  for 
their  amusement,  earned  their  living  by  this 
trade  in  London  while  the  German  invasion  is 
familiar  to  all  through  the  names  of  H. 
Walther,  Kalthoeber,  Baumgarten,  and  Stag- 
gemeier.  A  new  style  was  created  by  these 
strangers,  having  little  connection  with  Eng- 
land's past  productions,  except  such  as  may 
be  traceable  to  Roger  Payne  through 
Charles  Lewis,  and  his  immediate  followers, 
who  kept  alive  the  English  traditions  after  a 
manner  of  their  own.  In  France,  too,  it  was 
a    crucial    time.     This   was    the    period  of 


NOTE 

Bradel,  Simier,  Thouvenin,  Purgold,  and 
Lesne,  men  who  may  be  said  to  have  founded 
a  school  on  the  ashes  of  the  old  styles  of 
Boyer,  Padeloup,  and  the  early  eighteenth- 
centm^y  masters.  Not  enough  has  yet  been 
written  about  them  and  their  influence  upon 
the  art  of  binding  and  especially  upon  the 
English  work.  Curiously  enough  they  bor- 
rowed more  from  England  than  England  kept 
for  herself,  and  then  returned  the  raw  products 
manufactured  into  their  own  new  forms. 

The  bindings  of  New  York,  Boston,  and 
Philadelphia  of  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth, 
but  particularly  of  the  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  show  very  strongly  these  in- 
fluences, not  only  in  the  single  tools  them- 
selves, but  in  the  large  stamps  which  were  a 
peculiar  ear-mark  of  Thouvenin  and  his  fol- 
lowers, and  which  easy  method  of  decoration 
seems  to  have  had  a  wide  vogue  with  our 
binders,  some  of  whom  produced  very  credit- 
able results. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  must  not  be 
inferred  that  the  American  binder  was  only  a 
copyist,  far  from  that,  and  it  is  to  his  credit 
that,  while  using  motives  frequently  used  by 
his  English  and  Continental  brethren,  he 
managed  to  infuse  into  his  work  no  small 
amount  of  individuality.  This  is  specially 
true  of  the  New  York  binders,  who  early 
showed  self-reliance,  and  whose  reputation,  in 
the  hands  of  such  men  as  Henry  I,  Megarey, 
G.  Champley,  and  Wilson  &  Nichols,  may 
very  well  stand  a  careful  and  critical  exami- 
nation.    Enough  has  been  said  to  show  in 


NOTE 

general  outline  the  characteristics  of  our  early 
bindings,  and,  we  hope,  to  prove  that,  accord- 
ing to  their  opportunities,  and  in  spite  of  their 
limitations,  the  binders  produced  results  which, 
judged  in  the  light  of  the  best  standards  of 
the  period,  were  highly  creditable  to  them. 
At  least  enough  has  been  said  to  show  that 
American  binding  as  an  art  began  with  the 
printing  of  American  books. 


Xlll 


■fcfe--. 


CATALOGUE 


PRIMITIVES 

Bindings  executed  before  or  about  1800, 
when  the  printers  were  for  the  most  part 
their  own  bookbinders. 

[Burgh,  James] 

Britain's  Remembrancer  .  .  .  Lon- 
don, Printed;  Reprinted  by  Ben- 
jamin Mecom,  at  the  New  Printing- 
Office,  in  Boston.  1759.  Seventh 
edition.  6f  x  3f  inches. 

In  the  original  wooden  boards,  with  the 
paper  worn  off  and  disclosing  the  cover  of 
thin  oak ;  included  in  this  exhibition  to  show 
the  use  of  boards  before  the  introduction  of 
cardboard. 

On  the  verso  of  the  title-page  is  a  note  by 
the  printer,  Benjamin  Mecom,  who  was  the 
son  of  a  sister  of  Benjamin  Franklin. 

Bible 

Biblia,  Das  ist:  Die  Heilige  Schrift 
Altes  und  Neues  Testaments  .  .  . 
Germantown :  Gedruckt  bey  Chris- 
toph  Saur,  1743.     First  edition. 

10^  X  8  inches. 

Bound  in  beveled  boards  covered  with 
dark  calf,  with  clasps  and  brass  bosses. 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

The  second  Bible  printed  in  America,  and 
the  first  in  America  to  be  printed  in  a  foreign 
language.  The  present  copy  was  exhibited 
at  the  Centennial  Exhibition,  and  the  placard 
which  accompanied  it  is  inserted. 

The  Baptists,  or  Tunkers,in  Germany,  raised 
money  by  subscription  to  disperse  religious 
books  among  their  poorer  friends  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  to  establish  a  press  there.  The 
first  printer  to  whom  its  charge  was  intrusted 
was  Jacob  Gaus,  who  proved  inefficient,  and 
the  property  was  transferred  to  Christopher 
Saur,  or  Sower.  "Mr.  Saur  was  a  many- 
sided  man,  and  had  much  ingenuity  and  ver- 
satility. He  erected  a  mill  for  manufacturing 
his  own  paper  and  ink.  He  also  did  his  own 
binding,  and  contrived  to  cast  the  type  he 
needed.  The  remarkable  statement  has  been 
made  of  him  that  he  was  familiar  with  six- 
teen trades."  [  Wright.  Early  Bibles  of  Amer- 
ica.] It  was  largely  due  to  his  appeals  through 
his  German  almanac  and  newspaper  (the  first 
religious  newspaper  established  in  America), 
that  the  German  Bible  was  attempted,  and  it 
was  by  his  energy  and  enterprise  that  it  was 
accomplished  in  the  face  of  great  opposition. 
Twelve  hundred  copies  were  printed,  twelve 
of  which  were  substantially  bound  and  sent 
to  Dr.  Luther,  a  German  type-founder,  who 
had  aided  Saur  by  the  presentation  of  a  font 
of  type.  "  The  price  of  our  nearly  finished 
Bible,"  wrote  Mr.  Saur  just  before  its  comple- 
tion, "in  plain  binding  with  a  clasp  will  be 
eighteen  shillings,  but  to  the  poor  and  needy 
we  have  no  price." 


PRIMITIVES 

Edwards,  Jonathan 

A  Treatise  concerning  Religious 
Affections  .  .  .  Boston:  Printed  for 
S.  Kneeland  and  T.  Green  .  .  ,  1746. 
First  edition.  7T^5i  inches. 

The  binding  of  sheepskin,  with  blind  fillets 
and  rolls  forming  a  center  panel,  having 
ornaments  at  the  comers  and  sides,  is  in 
imitation  of  the  English  bindings  of  the  period 
and  a  survival  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
It  was  the  early  binding  generally  used  in 
New  England,  and  its  resemblance  to  English 
work  is  shown  by  comparison  with  the  next 
number. 

The  first  Boston  press  was  set  up  about 
forty  years  after  Stephan  Daye  opened  his 
printing-house  in  Cambridge  in  1638,  giv- 
ing to  Massachusetts  a  precedence  of  more 
than  forty  years  over  all  the  other  colonies  in 
the  matter  of  printing.  In  both  Cambridge 
and  Boston  members  of  the  Green  family 
early  became  foremost  printers.  The  T. 
Green  of  the  present  imprint  was  Timothy, 
junior,  great  grandson  of  Samuel  Green,  the 
second  Cambridge  printer,  and  son  of  that 
Timothy  who  removed  to  New  London  in  1 7 1 4. 
In  1724,  Cotton  Mather  made  the  following 
allusion  to  our  Timothy  in  the  Advertise- 
ment of  errata  in  his  Memoirs  of  Remark- 
able s  in  the  Life  of  Dr.  Increase  Mather: 
"  My  Young  printer,  the  nephew  of  him 
[Bartholomew  Green]  whose  name  stands  in 
the  title  page,  though  this  be  the  first  book 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

that  has  entirely  passed  thro  his  hand,  has 
bid  pretty  fair  towards  the  exactness  of  that 
honest  and  careful  Christian." 

Green's  partnership  with  Samuel  Kneeland, 
dating  probably  from  1726,  was  not  dissolved 
until  1752,  when  Green  assumed  his  father's 
business  in  New  London,  on  account  of  the 
latter's  increasing  years.  Kneeland  continued 
the  business  for  many  years,  and  died  in  1 769, 
leaving  four  sons,  all  of  whom  were  printers. 

4  Harte,  Walter 

Poems  on  several  occasions  .  .  . 
London :  Printed  for  Bernard  Lintot 
.  .  .  1727.     Frontispiece. 

8x5  inches. 

Bound  in  London  in  the  manner  of  the 
preceding,  showing  the  resemblance  of  New 
England  bindings  to  the  English  during  the 
first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

5  New  York 

Laws  of  New- York,  from  the  year 
1 69 1  to  1751  .  .  .  New- York : 
Printed  by  James  Parker,  Printer  to 
the  Government,  at  the  New  Print- 
ing-Office,   in  Beaver- Street,  1752. 

1 3-5- X  9  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  no  decoration 
except  a  very  narrow  blind  roll  on  the  sides 
and  back. 


PRIMITIVES 

James  Parker  served  his  apprenticeship  in 
New  York  with  William  Bradford,  whose  vol- 
ume of  the  laws  of  the  colony  was  the  first 
book  printed  in  New  York  (1693).  Parker 
began  business  about  the  year  1742,  when 
Bradford  left  it.  The  year  after  printing  the 
present  volume  he  went  into  partnership  with 
William  Weyman,  and  later  with  John  Holt, 
and  established  presses  at  New  Haven  and 
Woodbridge. 

6  The  Carpenters'  Company, 

Philadelphia 

[Book  of  Plans,  with  frontispiece 
bearing  the  inscription  "  The  Car- 
penters Company  of  Philadelphia 
lent  to  (Thomas  Savery)  1724." 
About  1760.]  7i  X  5  inches. 

Bound  in  sheepskin  with  blind  rolled  border ; 
back  plain. 

The  date,  1724,  refers  to  the  founding  of 
the  Carpenters'  Company.  The  date  of  the 
book  is  probably  about  1760,  as  Thomas 
Savery  was  a  prominent  Quaker  and  carpen- 
ter in  Philadelphia  at  that  time.  He  is  men- 
tioned in  Hugh  Wynne. 

7  Watts,  Isaac 

Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs  .  .  . 
Edinburgh,  1776.         6:|- x  3!- inches. 

Bound  in  dark  red  morocco,  with  gold 
tooled  border  of  single  flowers  with  leaves ; 

5 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

lettered  "  H.  B. "  in  center  of  upper  cover ; 
back  gold  rolled  and  tooled. 

Inscription  on  fly-leaf:  "Hannah  Boudi- 
not's  book,  bound  and  gilt  at  Trenton,  1 785." 

This  binding  is  reproduced  in  Bibliopegy 
in  the  United  States  by  W.  L.  Andrews. 

8  [Hopkins,  Samuel] 

A  Dialogue  concerning  the  Slavery 
of  the  Africans  .  .  .  Norwich: 
Printed  by  Judah  P.  Spooner,  1776. 
New- York:  Re-printed  for  Robert 
Hodge.     1785.  6:^x4  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  narrow  rolled 
border  of  gold,  and  small  sprigs  gold-tooled 
on  the  back.  An  olive  label,  inlaid,  tells  that 
the  original  owner  was  Thomas  Jenks,  whose 
printed  book-plate  is  in  the  book. 

In  Robert  Hodge's  page  of  advertisement 
at  the  end,  where  mention  is  made  of  "An  ex- 
cellent Assortment  of  Stationary,  viz.  .  .  . 
Pewter  Ink-standishes,  Message  and  Compli- 
ment Cards,  Patent  Blacking  Cakes,  &c.,  &c." 
is  the  following  paragraph:  "*»*  Book- 
binding performed  at  the  above  store,  with 
neatness  and  expedition,"  but  whether  the 
present  volume  may  be  an  example  of  his 
work  is  uncertain. 

The  work  of  which  this  is  a  reprint  is  one 
of  the  early  Norwich  imprints,  Judah  P. 
Spooner  having  been  sent  by  Timothy  Green 
of  New  London  to  establish  a  press  in  Nor- 
wich, in  1773. 


PRIMITIVES 

9  Watts,  Isaac 

Doctor  Watts's  Imitation  of  the 
Psalms  of  David.  Corrected  and 
enlarged  by  Joel  Barlow  .  .  . 
Hartford:  Printed  by  Hudson  and 
Goodwin  [preface  date,  1785]* 
Third  edition.  5x3  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  a  gold  rolled 
floral  border,  and  small  flowers  tooled  in  gold 
at  the  corners;  the  back  ornamented  with 
an  unusual  design  of  gold  wreaths  and  small 
detached  flowers  and  leaves;  marbled  end- 
papers. 

A  printed  label  bears  the  name  of  Miss 
Jennet  Steele. 

Printing  was  introduced  into  Hartford 
in  1764  by  Thomas  Green,  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Ebenezer  Watson,  who  was  fol- 
lowed by  Hudson  and  Goodwin,  the  former 
having  married  Watson's  widow. 

10  Prayer  Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
As  revifed  and  propofed  to  the  Ufe 
of  The  Proteftant  Epifcopal  Church 
.  .  .  Philadelphia,  Printed  by 
Hall  and  Sellers  .  .  .  1786. 

6^x4-!^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  narrow  gold 
rolled  border,  and  small  gold  tooled  flowers 
at  the  corners ;  large  central  ornament,  gold 

7 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

tooled ;  back  in  gold  tooled  panels,  each 
containing  a  bird  on  a  sprig  in  gold ;  marbled 
end-papers. 

This  "  proposed  Prayer-Book "  is  the 
rarest  of  all  American  Episcopal  liturgical 
works,  and  one  with  a  most  interesting  his- 
tory. A  convention  to  consider  the  revision 
of  the  Prayer  Book  and  other  important 
matters,  at  which  seven  states  were  repre- 
sented, was  held  in  Philadelphia  in  1785,  and 
a  committee  appointed  to  consider  and  report 
such  alterations  in  the  Liturgy  as  should 
render  it  "consistent  with  the  American 
Revolution  and  the  constitutions  of  the  re- 
spective states."  The  Committee  appointed 
to  attend  to  the  printing  of  the  book  was 
made  up  of  Doctors  White,  Smith,  and 
Wharton,  who  intrusted  it  to  Hall  and  Sel- 
lers, the  successors  of  Benjamin  FrankUn, 
and  it  was  issued  in  1786,  calling  forth  so 
many  objections,  and  stirring  up  so  deter- 
mined an  opposition,  that  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Provost,  one  of  the  New  York  members  of  the 
Committee,  wrote,  soon  after  its  appearance : 
"  Such  a  strong  party  has  been  raised  against 
the  alterations  that  I  am  afraid  we  should 
not  be  able  to  adopt  the  book  at  present 
without  danger  of  a  schism  —  the  ostensible 
objection  is  that  they  were  made  without 
sanction  of  a  bishop,  but  the  Thanksgiving 
for  the  Fourth  of  July,  in  all  probability,  is 
one  principal  cause  of  the  opposition." 

Of  the  edition  of  four  thousand  copies  only 
a  few  are  known  to  have  been  bound  in 
this  manner. 

8 


PRIMITIVES 

II  Bible 

The  Self-Interpreting  Bible  ...  to 
which  are  annexed  Marginal  Refer- 
ences ...  by  the  late  Reverend  John 
Brown  .  .  .  New- York :  Printed  for 
T.  Allen,  and  sold  at  his  Book  and 
Stationary  Store  .  .  .  1792.  Fron- 
tispiece, plates  and  map  engraved 
by  C.  Tiebout,  A.  Godwin,  Mav- 
erick, Doolittle  and  others. 

i7ix  lOx  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  gold  rolled 
border  in  meander  pattern,  center  decorated 
with  an  oval  formed  by  a  gold  floral  roll  and 
gold  tooled ;  within,  an  urn  in  a  smaller  oval, 
which  is  decorated  with  flowers,  all  in  gold ; 
back  inlaid  with  green  and  yellow  bands  and 
panels,  and  decorated  with  military  emblems 
and  small  gold  tools  of  colonial  designs ;  the 
yellow  panel  bears  the  name  of  the  owner 
"Mary  EUis  1792";  marbled  end-papers,  and 
binder's  ticket,  "  Bound  and  Sold  by  Thomas 
Allen,  No.  12,  Queen  Street,  New-York." 
The  whole  effect  is  characteristic  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century. 

This  was  the  first  complete  edition  of  the 
Bible  printed  in  New  York.  Most  copies 
bear  the  imprint  of  Hodge,  Allen  and  Camp- 
bell, whose  long  advertisement  for  Brown's 
Self- Interpreting  Bible  in  forty  numbers, 
printed  and  delivered  every  two  weeks,  at 
"one  quarter  dollar"  per  number  ("a  sum  so 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

inconsiderable  that  it  can  be  no  object  to 
any  class  of  citizens  ")  appears  with  regular- 
ity in  the  New  York  Packet  as  early  as  1790. 
This  binding  is  reproduced  in  American 
Bookbindings  in  the  Library  of  Henry  W.  Poor. 

12  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
New-York :  Printed  by  Hugh  Gaine, 
by  direction  of  the  General  Conven- 
tion .  .  .  1793.  Corrected  edition 
of  the  "first"  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  antedating  the  so-called 
second  "Standard."      6 x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  olive  morocco,  with  narrow  rolled 
meander  border,  and  center  panel  formed  by 
a  very  narrow  roll,  with  sprigs  at  the  corners, 
all  in  gold  ;  back  broken  into  panels,  formed 
by  rolls  and  decorated  with  small  tools ;  mar- 
bled end-papers. 

It  is  possible  that  Hugh  Gaine  bound,  as 
well  as  printed,  this  Prayer-Book.  Little  is 
known  of  Gaine  as  a  binder.  That  he  had 
binding  done  outside  of  his  own  shop  is  shown 
by  the  bill  of  Valentine  Nutter  (No.  125  of 
the  present  exhibition).  In  1769  he  com- 
pleted for  Sir  William  Johnson  the  printing  of 
the  Prayer-Book  in  the  Mohawk  language, 
begun  by  his  rival  printer,  Weyman,  and  por- 
tions of  his  correspondence  with  Sir  William 
are  interesting  in  this  connection. 

*'  I  expect  to  have  the  Prayer  Book  finished 


PRIMITIVES 

by  Christmas,"  he  writes,  "but  as  it  will  make 
several  sheets  more  than  was  at  first  imagined, 
I  am  confident  the  Binders  will  expect  2S.  in- 
stead of  IS  6  for  the  plain  Ones.  Please  to 
let  me  know  how  many  you  '11  want  in 
Morroco  leather.  I  heard  the  Revd  Mr. 
Ogilvie  say,  he  should  have  Occasion  for  a  few 
neatly  bound  ...  If  any  of  the  Common 
Prayers  are  to  be  sent  to  London,  if  they  are 
sent  in  sheets  in  my  Opinion  it  may  do,  as  they 
can  be  bound  there  to  satisfaction."  Three 
months  later,  in  February,  he  writes :  "  This 
you  '11  receive  by  Col.  Croghan,  who  will  at 
the  same  time  deliver  you  one  of  the  Indian 
Common  Prayers :  Agreeable  to  my  Promise 
I  had  them  compleated  by  Christmas,  and  they 
are  now  in  the  Hands  of  the  Binders,  and  I 
expect  to  have  them  ready  to  send  up  by  the 
first  Sloops  that  go  up  in  the  Spring.  On 
Enquiry  I  found  that  no  Books  printed  in  the 
Colonies  could  be  sent  to  Great  Britain,  but 
at  a  very  great  Expence,  and  shall  therefore 
endeavour  to  get  z  dozen  done  here  in  Mor- 
roco, which  I  hope  to  get  compleated  to  Satis- 
faction." 

In  April  we  find  him  apologizing  for  delay, 
the  fault  not  being  his,  "  but  the  Bookbinders, 
out  of  whose  Hands  I  could  not  get  them  be- 
fore the  Middle  of  March,  and  then  only  283, 
which  I  sent  you  the  first  Instant  .  .  .  The 
Prayer  Books  that  are  to  be  bound  in  Morroco, 
must  be  delayed  for  some  time,  as  I  must 
send  to  Boston  for  the  Leather."  Finally,  in 
August,  he  writes :  "  At  last  I  have  been  able 
to  send  you  the  Remainder  of  the  Common 

IX 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Prayer.  I  am  sorry  they  have  been  delayed 
so  long,  but  I  assure  you  it  was  not  in  my 
Power  to  send  them  sooner,  the  Delay  being 
occasioned  by  the  want  of  Morroco  Leather. 
Inclosed  you  have  your  own  Account,  as  also 
the  whole  Expence  of  the  Common  Prayers, 
binding,  Paper,  &c.  which  I  hope  you  '11  think 
reasonable.  Had  it  been  English,  the  Print- 
ing Work  could  not  have  been  done  cheaper." 

Some  years  later  we  find  another  reference 
to  binding  in  a  letter  to  Sir  William :  "  The 
Box  of  Keyser  I  now  send  you  by  the  Post, 
and  the  Books  you  wrote  for  are  in  the  Bind- 
er's Hands,  and  shall  be  finished  with  Expe- 
dition." 

Hugh  Gaine  established  his  press  in  New 
York  about  the  year  1750.  The  present 
volume  was  printed  just  one  hundred  years 
after  the  erection  of  the  first  press  in  the 
colony  by  WiUiam  Bradford,  in  1693. 

This  binding  is  reproduced  in  Bibliopegy 
in  the  United  States  by  W.  L.  Andrews. 

13  Belknap,  Jeremy 

Sacred  Poetry  .  .  .  Printed  at  the 
Apollo  Press,  in  Boston,  by  Joseph 
Belknap.   .   .1795.     6fx  3^  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  red  morocco,  with  gold 
rolled  border  of  floral  design  very  popular  at 
this  period  (see  similar  styles  of  Nos.  9  and 
11);  a  center  panel  is  formed  by  a  small  gold 
roll  like  that  used  on  the  Hugh  Gaine  book 
of  1793,  which  this  volume  resembles;  the 


PRIMITIVES 

same  roll  connects  the  panel  with  the  bor- 
ders at  the  comers ;  the  name  of  the  owner 
is  lengthwise  in  gold  on  the  panel,  "  T.  Hill 
1797";  back  divided  by  rolls  into  compart- 
ments decorated  with  sunbursts  and  small 
gold  flowers ;  small  bird  at  the  foot  in  gold ; 
marbled  end-papers. 


14  A    Collection    of    Psalms    and 

Hymns  for  Public  Worship.  Printed 
by  William  Carlton,  Salem.  1795. 
Second  edition.  5fx3|-  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  gold  rolled 
floral  border  of  graceful  design ;  back  inlaid 
with  citron  morocco,  and  ornamented  with 
small  tools  and  four  stags  in  gold. 

Salem  was  the  third  town  in  the  province  of 
Massachusetts  in  which  a  printing-house  was 
established.  The  first  was  opened  by  Samuel 
Hall  about  thirty  years  before  this  volume 
was  printed. 

15  Smith,  Charlotte 

Elegiac  Sonnets  and  other  Poems 
.  .  .  Printed  at  Worcester,  by  Isaiah 
Thomas,  sold  by  him  in  Worcester, 
and  by  said  Thomas  and  Andrews 
in  Boston.  1795  [At  end]  From  the 
Old  Press  of  Isaiah  Thomas,  at 
Worcester.     First  Worcester,  from 

13 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

the  sixth  London  edition,  with 
frontispiece  and  four  plates  by 
Seymour.  6  x  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  treed  calf,  with  sides  plain,  and 
back  in  panels,  slightly  gold  tooled ;  marbled 
end-papers ;  "  Directions  to  the  binder  "  on 
p.  xix,  with  the  following  notes :  "  Let  the 
plates  face  the  Sonnets  to  which  they  belong. 
—  Cut  the  book  as  large  each  way  as  it  will 
bear." 

Worcester  was  the  fifth  town  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  which  a  printing-press  was  estab- 
lished. This  was  opened  on  May  3,  1775, 
by  Isaiah  Thomas,  who  also  "  erected  a  paper 
mill,  and  set  up  a  bindery ;  and  was  thus  en- 
abled to  go  through  the  whole  process  of 
manufacturing  books." 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  quote  here  Mr. 
William  Loring  Andrews's  description  of  this 
volume,  together  with  what  he  has  to  say  of 
Isaiah  Thomas  as  a  binder : 

"Isaiah  Thomas,  whose  position  as  the 
foremost  and  most  prolific  ...  of  New  Eng- 
land's  eighteenth-century  printers,  is  now 
clearly  recognized,  was  author,  antiquarian, 
typographer,  paper-manufacturer,  book-binder 
and  book-seller  all  in  one.  Of  which  of  the 
disciples  of  Gutenberg  of  the  present  day 
can  all  this  be  said?  That  Thomas  was  also 
a  born  bibliophile  will,  I  think,  appear  by 
what  I  shall  presently  relate. 

"  The  proclivity,  amounting  at  times  to  a 
mania,  of  the  ordinary  book-binder  to  plough 
ruthlessly  through  the  leaves  of  a  book,  even 

14 


PRIMITIVES 

though  the  process  involves  the  snipping 
away  of  the  entire  margin  and  occasionally  a 
portion  of  the  Author's  text,  is  so  well  known 
to  the  fraternity  of  book-collectors  as  to  have 
become  proverbial.  Listen  to  friend  Thomas's 
timely  word  of  caution  upon  this  vital  point ! 

*'  Tlie  Directions  to  the  Binder  in  the  Elegiac 
Sonnets  and  other  Poems  by  Charlotte  Smith, 
published  by  Thomas  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  in 
1795,  contain,  in  addition  to  careful  instruc- 
tions for  the  placing  of  the  plates,  this  ad- 
monition to  the  binder:  Cut  the  book  as 
large  each  way  as  it  will  bear. 

"  These  directions  of  old  Father  Isaiah, 
with  the  addition  of  a  short  postscript  to  this 
effect,  Avoid  whenever  possible  any  use  of  the 
knife,  might  well  be  engrossed  in  capital  letters 
and  hung  upon  the  wall  of  every  book-binder's 
shop  in  the  land  .  .  . 

"Thomas  states  in  his  advertisement  ihaX 
the  paper  upon  which  the  Elegiac  Sonnets  of 
Charlotte  Smith  is  printed  '  is  a  new  business 
in  America,  and  but  lately  introduced  into 
Great  Britain;  it  is  the  first  manufactured 
by  the  editor.'  .  .  . 

"This  eminent  Boston  and  Worcester 
printer  .  .  .  bound  books  in  a  variety  of 
styles  pursuant  to  the  notice  he  inserted  at 
the  foot  of  the  green  paper  covers  in  which 
the  monthly  parts  of  the  Royal  American 
Magazine,  edited  and  published  by  him  and 
Joseph  Greenleaf,  were  issued,  to  wit :  Book- 
binding performed  in  all  its  branches  with  great 
care  and  cheap." 

In  the  Advertisement  referred  to  by  Mr. 

»5 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Andrews,  the  editor,  after  stating  that  it  had 
been  his  intention  to  pubh'sh  this  work  some 
four  years  earher,  makes  the  following  apology 
for  the  plates :  "  As  the  Letter  Press  has  been 
delayed,  he  could  have  wished  the  Engrav- 
ings had  been  also ;  as  in  the  infancy  of  en- 
graving in  this  country,  four  years'  additional 
experience  to  the  artist  would  doubtless  have 
produced  more  delicate  work  than  what  is 
now  presented.  The  lovers  of  this  art  will, 
however,  be  enabled,  in  some  measure,  to 
mark  the  progress  of  Engraving  by  a  com- 
parison of  the  plates  now  executed  with  these." 
An  added  interest  is  thus  given  to  the  little 
volume  as  an  early  example  of  purely  Amer- 
ican illustration.  The  engravings  are  clearly 
in  imitation  of  the  English  work  of  the  period, 
and  do  not  altogether  merit  the  slighting  tone 
used  by  Thomas.  Joseph  H.  Seymour  en- 
graved plates  for  various  publications  by 
Thomas  from  1791  or  earlier  until  at  least 
1795.  It  is  curious  that  in  his  Bible,  issued 
in  1 791,  we  find  the  publisher  begging  his 
readers,  in  almost  the  same  words  as  he  used 
in  the  Sonnets ,  to  make  "proper  allowance 
for  an  Artist  who  obtained  his  knowledge  in 
this  country,  compared  with  that  done  by 
European  engravers  who  have  settled  in  the 
United  States." 

The  Advertisement  closes  thus:  "On  the 
whole,  the  Editor  hopes  for  the  candor  of 
those  who  wish  well  to  the  productions  of  the 
Columbian  Press — their  favourable  accept- 
ance of  this,  and  other  volumes  printed  in  this 
country,  will  doubtless  raise  an  emulation  to 

x6 


PRIMITIVES 

produce  others,  better  executed,  on  superior 
paper,  and  with  more  delicate  engravings." 
The  present  copy  of  the  Sonnets  is  of  es- 
pecial interest  in  that  it  was  Isaiah  Thomas's 
own,  and  bears  his  autograph.  Its  later  own- 
ership is  easily  traced  through  two  further 
inscriptions,  "Harriet  Lee's  Book,  presented 
by  Mrs.  Isaiah  Thomas,  Worcester,  April 
i6th,  1807,"  and,  "Presented  to  Charles  W. 
Frederickson,  by  his  Mother,  Mrs.  H.  Lee 
Truesdell,  May  i,  1859."  It  also  bears 
Mr.  Frederickson's  book-plate,  and  came  from 
the  sale  of  his  books  into  the  hands  of  its 
present  owner. 


16  Watts,  Isaac 

Doctor  Watts's  Imitation  of  the 
Psalms  of  David.  Corrected  and 
enlarged.  By  Joel  Barlow  .  .  . 
New- York:  Printed  by  Samuel 
Campbell  .    .    .  1795. 

5|x3i  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson  morocco,  sides  deco- 
rated with  single  fillet,  and  back  gold  rolled 
and  decorated  with  sunbursts  in  gold. 

The  last  four  pages  are  occupied  by  a  list 
of  religious  and  medical  works  printed  and 
sold  by  Samuel  Campbell,  the  most  note- 
worthy book  being  apparently  Brown's  Self- 
Interpreting  Family  ^/^/<f,  which  might  be  had 
in  "  plain  or  elegant  binding."  Following  the 
list  are  notes  stating  that  **  Book-sellers  and 

»7 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

printers  may  be  supplied  with  either  of  the 
above  mentioned  Books,  by  the  quantity,  in 
sheets,  or  in  neat  binding,"  and  *'  Writing  and 
wrapping  Paper  of  all  kinds  and  sizes,  made 
at  the  Thistle  Paper  Mill,  equal  to  any  im- 
ported." 


1 7  Young,  Edward 

Night  Thoughts  .  .  .  Philadelphia, 
[n.d.  about  1800  ?]  Frontispiece 
and  title-page  engraved  by  H. 
Anderson.  5t  x  3  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight- grained  morocco, 
with  beaded  gold  rolled  border ;  back  orna- 
mented in  gold  with  a  narrow  roll  and  alter- 
nate harps  and  flowers ;  marbled  end-papers. 

18  [Bloomfield,  Robert] 

The  Farmer's  Boy,  a  rural  Poem  .  .  . 
Printed  and  sold  by  George  F.  Hop- 
kins .  .  .  1801.  First  American 
edition,  with  wood-engravings  by  A. 
Anderson.  6f  X4  inches. 

Bound  in  calf,  sides  plain,  with  back  broken 
by  fillets  into  compartments  decorated  by 
urns ;  marbled  end-papers. 

This  work  appeared  first  in  England  in  a 
sumptuous  quarto,  with  woodcuts  by  Bewick, 
in  1800,  and  met  with  remarkable  success. 

18 


PRIMITIVES 

19  Honey  wood,  St.  John 

Poems  .  .  .  New- York :  Printed 
by  T.  &  J.  Swords  .  .  .  1801. 
First  edition.  7x4  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  sides  plain,  and 
back  divided  by  fillets  into  compartments, 
and  slightly  tooled. 

The  author  was  one  of  the  presidential 
electors  who  chose  John  Adams  as  successor 
to  Washington ;  the  poems  were  not  pub- 
lished until  after  his  death,  and  this  copy 
bears  a  presentation  inscription  from  the 
editor  to  "  His   Excellency,  John  Adams." 

20  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
New- York :  Printed  by  George 
Forman  for  William  Durell,  Book- 
seller .    .    .   1803.  7  X4:j- inches. 

Bound  in  black,  straight-grained  morocco, 
sides  plain,  with  back  gold  rolled  and 
slightly  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers  and  gof- 
fered edges. 


19 


DECORATED 
CALFSKIN  BINDINGS 

Early  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  deco- 
ration of  calfskin  bindings  by  various  pro- 
cesses of  coloring,  sprinkling,  mottling,  and 
marbling  became  very  popular  in  the  United 
States.  The  following  numbers  show  some 
of  the  results  of  this  fashion. 

2  1  Extracts    from   The    Press:    a 

Newspaper  published  in  the  Capital 
of  Ireland,  during  part  of  the  years 
1797  and  1798  .  .  .  Philadelphia: 
Printed  by  William  Duane,  Aurora 
Office.     1802.  8Jx5:|- inches. 

Bound  in  marbled  calf,  with  narrow  gold 
border  and  small  gold  tools  at  the  corners ; 
back  gold  rolled  and  tooled;  marbled  end- 
papers and  edges. 

2  2  Seward,  Anna 

Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Dr.  Darwin 
.  .  .  Philadelphia :  At  the  Classic 
Press,  for  the  Proprietors  Wm. 
Poyntell,  &  Co.  1804. 

8Jx5-j-  inches. 

20 


DECORATED    CALFSKIN    BINDINGS 

Bound  in  mottled  calf,  with  lozenge  left 
plain  in  the  center;  sides  and  back  gold 
rolled  in  colonial  design  and  slightly  tooled ; 
marbled  end-papers  and  edges;  broad  mo- 
rocco hinges,  gold  rolled ;  ticket  of  Peter 
Doyle,  bookseller,  Philadelphia. 


23  Addison,  Joseph 

The  Works  of  the  Right  Honour- 
able Joseph  Addison  ...  in  six 
volumes.  Vol.  i.  New- York:  Pub- 
lished by  William  Durell  &  Co. 
George  Forman,  Printer.  1811. 
Portrait.  y^x4%  inches. 

Bound  in  Spanish  calf,  with  narrow  gold 
rolled  and  filleted  border ;  back  gold  rolled 
and  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 

A  printed  label  tells  that  this  was  No.  64 
of  the  A.  R.  Shreve  Library. 

24  Montgomery,  James 

The  West  Indies,  and  other  Poems 
.  .  .  Philadelphia:  Published  by- 
James  P.  Parke  .  .  .  William  Brown, 
Printer  .  .  .  1811.  Third  edition, 
with  portrait  engraved  by  W.  R. 
Jones.  6^  x  4-J^  inches. 

Bound  in  mottled  calf,  with  border  formed 
by  two  narrow  gold  rolls ;  back  divided  by 

21 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

rolls  and  fillets  into  compartments,  ornamented 
by  single  small  gold  twigs;  marbled  end- 
papers and  edges. 

25  [Hofland,  Mrs.  Barbara] 

The  Son  of  a  Genius;  a  Tale  for  the 
Use  of  Youth  .  .  .  New-York :  Pub- 
lished by  Eastburn,  Kirk  &  Co.  .  .  . 
1814.  [John  Forbers,  Printer.] 
Woodcuts.  5|-  X  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  mottled  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border  of  unusual  design,  consisting  of  straight 
and  curving  lines,  groups  of  detached  flowers, 
and  large  feathers ;  back  divided  by  gold  roll 
into  compartments,  decorated  with  wheat, 
rakes,  and  sickles ;  yellow  edges. 

26  Bible 

[CoUins's  Stereotype  Edition.]  The 
Holy  Bible  .  .  .  New-York:  Printed 
and  sold  by  Collins  and  Co. .  .  .  1817. 
Frontispiece  engraved  by  Tanner, 
Vallance,  Kearny  &  Co.,  plates  and 
maps.  1 3"2  X  9f  inches. 

Bound  in  calf,  with  wide  border  of  gold 
fillets,  and  inner  blind  rolled  border ;  triangles 
at  the  four  corners  form  a  large  panel  within 
which  is  a  lozenge,  the  whole  outlined  by  blind 
rolls  of  same  palmette  design  as  the  border, 
and  by  narrow  painted  lines ;  small,  circular, 

22 


DECORATED    CALFSKIN    BINDINGS 

gold  tools  at  the  corners  of  the  figures ;  in  the 
center  a  large  conventional  rose  stained. 

In  the  Advertisement  to  the  Stereotype  Edi- 
tion, the  publishers  state  that  "in  stereotype, 
a  perfection  of  accuracy  may  be  obtained — 
a  desideratum  on  which  there  needs  no  com- 
ment, particularly  when  considered  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Through  these 
means  the  Publishers  feel  confident  of  being 
able  to  exhibit  editions  of  the  Bible  entirely 
free  from  errors,  and  rendered  additionally 
valuable  by  every  other  requisite  of  good 
printing  .  .  .  Engravings  of  a  superior  quality, 
copied  from  designs  of  eminent  painters,  will 
be  supplied  to  those  who  may  order  them ; 
and  every  attention  will  be  given  to  have  the 
work  bound  in  the  best  manner,  whether  in  a 
plain  or  elegant  style."  The  present  volume 
is  apparently  one  of  those  bound  "in  elegant 
style." 


27  Watts,  Isaac 

The  Psalms  of  David  imitated  .  .  . 
A  new  Edition  ...  by  Timothy 
Dwight  .  .  .  New- York:  Published 
by  John  L.  Tiffany,  114  Broadway. 
J.  Seymour,  Printer.     1817. 

7f  X  4-|-  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  narrow, 
gold  border,  and  large  panel  formed  by 
painted  bands,  and  decorated  with  painted 
lines  intersecting  in  geometrical  design,  small 

23 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

gold  circles  at  the  corners ;  below  the  panel, 
the  name  of  the  owner  in  gold,  "S.  B. 
Hutchings";  back  with  fillets  and  painted 
bands,  gold  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers. 

28  Lyman,  Theodore 

The  Political  State  of  Italy  .  .  . 
Boston :  Published  by  Wells  and 
Lilly.     1820.     First  edition. 

8^x5^  inches. 

Bound  in  calf,  with  gold  rolled  Etruscan 
border,  and  panel  stained  in  shades  of  blue, 
outlined  and  decorated  by  painted  bands  and 
small  gold  circles;  the  space  between  the 
panel  and  the  border  is  stained  in  waving 
lines  of  brown,  red,  and  yellow ;  back  gold 
tooled  and  filleted,  with  title  in  center ;  green 
watered  end-papers,  and  broad  red  morocco 
hinges,  with  same  gold  rolled  border  which 
is  used  on  the  insides  of  the  covers. 

29  Young,  Edward 

The  Complaint,  or,  Night  Thoughts 
.  .  .  New- York:  Published  by  John- 
stone and  Van  Norden,  1824. 
Frontispiece,  and  title-page  en- 
graved by  S.  Stiles. 

6  X  3|-  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  brown  calf,  with  gold  and 
blind  rolled  borders,  and  rectangular  panel 
with  leather  scraped  to  leave  a  lozenge  of 

24 


DECORATED    CALFSKIN    BINDINGS 

plain  calf  in  the  center;  back  elaborately 
gold  rolled,  with  author's  name  in  center; 
marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 

30  Bible 

The  Holy  Bible  .  .  .  New  York : 
Stereotyped  by  A.  Chandler,  for 
"The  American  Bible  Society," 
1826.  5|- X  3|- inches. 

Bound  in  treed  calf,  with  tiny  gold  rolled 
border;  back  divided  by  painted  bands  into 
compartments,  and  boldly  decorated  in  gold ; 
marbled  edges  and  end-papers. 


25 


VOLUMES  WHOSE  BINDERS 
ARE  KNOWN* 

PARSON 
Hudson,  N.  Y.,  1805 

31  Psalms,  carefully  suited  to  the 
Christian  Worship  in  the  United 
States  of  America  .  .  .  Hudson : 
Printed  for  William  E.  Norman,  by 
Harry  Croswell,  1805. 

4f  x3  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  red  morocco,  with  simple 
decoration  of  single  lines  and  circles ;  back 
slightly  decorated  in  gold ;  marbled  end- 
papers. One  of  the  earliest  books  to  contain 
a  binder's  ticket,  which  reads  as  follows: 
"  Bound  at  Parson's  Bindery.  Where  bind- 
ingis  executed  in  its  various  branches.  Patent 
Ruling  Done  in  the  neatest  manner.  Hud- 
son, N.  Y." 

BENJAMIN  OLDS 
Newark,  N.  J.,  1808 

32  Society  of  the  Cincinnati 

Cincinnati,  with  the  Bye-laws  and 
Rules  of  the  New-Jersey  State  So- 

*  Most  of  the  volumes  in  this  class  contain  binders'  tickets. 
In  the  few  cases  where  they  are  lacking,  evidence  has  seemed 
sufficiently  strong  to  warrant  the  inclusion  of  the  volumes  here. 

a6 


BINDINGS  BY  CHAMPLEY 

ciety.  Trenton:  Printed  by  James 
Oram,  for  the  Society.  i8o8.  With 
member's  certificate  left  blank. 

8-ix5-^  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight-grained  morocco 
with  gold  rolled  border,  and  "Cincinnati"  in 
gold  lengthwise  in  center  of  upper  cover ;  back 
divided  by  rolls  into  gold  tooled  compart- 
ments ;  marbled  end-papers ;  binder's  ticket 
as  follows:  "Benjamin  Olds,  Book  Binder  & 
Stationer,  Sign  of  the  Bible,  Newark." 


G.  CHAMPLEY 
New  York,  i8i6(?)-i824 

33  Hervey,  James 

Meditations  and  Contemplations  .  .  . 
London :  Printed  for  J.  Walker  and 
Co.  .  .  .  l8l6.  Frontispiece  and  title- 
page  engraved  by  C.  Warren. 

4|-x2|-  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  gold  rolled  border 
and  inner  border,  blind  rolled,  with  gold  tools 
at  the  comers ;  back  in  compartments,  gold 
tooled,  title  in  center ;  green  end-papers,  and 
binder's  ticket  as  follows:  "G.  Champley, 
Fancy  Binder,  6i  Barclay-st.,  N.  York." 

This  and  No.  35  are  of  interest  as  they 
bear  London  imprints  and  the  tickets  of  a 
New  York  binder. 

27 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

34  Hogg,  James 

The  Pilgrims  of  the  Sun  .  .  . 
Philadelphia:  Published  by  Moses 
Thomas.     J.  Maxwell,  printer,  i8l6. 

5x3  inches. 

Bound  in  reddish  brown  morocco,  with  dou- 
ble gold  rolled  border  of  same  design  as  the 
preceding,  and  narrow  blind  inner  border  with 
blind  tools  at  the  comers ;  back  in  compart- 
ments, gold  tooled ;  title  in  center ;  light  brown 
end-papers,  and  binder's  ticket  like  the  above. 

35  Langhorne,  John 

The  Correspondence  of  Theodosius 
and  Constantia .  .  .  London :  Printed 
for  Walker  and  Edwards  .  .  .  1817. 
Frontispiece  and  title-page  en- 
graved by  A.  Warren. 

4|-x  2-|  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  double  gold 
rolled  border  of  same  design  as  the  two  pre- 
ceding, and  blind  inner  border  like  that  of 
No.  33,  with  corners  elaborately  blind 
tooled ;  back  in  compartments,  gold  tooled, 
title  in  center;  brown  end-papers,  and 
binder's  ticket  like  Nos.  33  and  34. 


28 


BINDINGS  BY  CHAMPLEY 

36  Bible 

The  Holy  Bible  .  .  .  New  York: 
Stereotyped  by  E.  and  J.  White, 
for  "The  American  Bible  Society." 
1818.  9X5f  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight- grained  morocco, 
with  wide  border  formed  by  a  gold  roll  and 
fillets  and  waving  dotted  lines,  interrupted  at 
the  corners  by  gold  tooled  squares.  Within 
the  wide  border  is  a  very  narrow  border, 
formed  by  a  blind  roll,  and  blind  tooled  at 
the  corners.  The  design  of  the  corner  pieces 
is  repeated,  with  elaborations,  in  two  com- 
partments of  the  back,  which  is  otherwise  gold 
tooled  and  rolled,  with  title  in  the  center; 
leather  hinges,  and  a  peculiar  end-paper, 
marbled  in  shades  of  pink  and  brown.  This 
is  a  remarkable  specimen  of  binding  of  the 
period,  but  bears  no  binder's  ticket.  The 
wide  gold  roll,  however,  is  the  same  as  that 
used  in  the  next  number,  and  is,  in  both 
cases,  repeated  on  the  back ;  a  waving  dotted 
line  is  used  in  both,  and  the  workmanship 
and  the  leather  are  similar,  leading  to  the  con- 
clusion that  this  is  the  work  of  Champley. 

37  Lockwood,  F.  &  R.,     Publishers. 
The  Album. 

Go  lovely  volume  —  grace  fair  Beauty's 

bowers. 
Improve  her  heart — amuse  her  listless 

hours. 

29 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

New- York:  F.  &  R.  Lockwood, 
154  Broadway.  J.  &  J.  Harper, 
Printers.  1824.  Title-page  en- 
graved by  Danforth.     8^x5^  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco,  in 
manner  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  less 
elaborate.  The  border  of  the  inside  of  the 
cover  is  an  unusual  roll  of  gold  leaves  and 
tendrils,  similar  to  one  used  on  No.  74.  The 
binder's  ticket  is  especially  ornate,  consisting 
of  a  scroll  bearing  the  name  "  G.  Champley, 
Binder,  N.  York,"  wrapped  about  a  bunch 
of  roses. 

The  volume  is  one  of  those  collections  of 
miscellaneous  poems  so  popular  at  the  period. 
The  aims  of  the  publishers  are  thus  set  forth 
in  the  Advertisement:  "The  Subscribers  in 
the  publication  of  the  Album,  have  had  in 
view  this  specific  object; — to  present  to  the 
Ladies  a  work  of  taste  and  elegance.  To 
them  they  submit  their  book ;  and  if  it  shall 
at  any  time  call  forth  an  approving  glance 
from  virtue's  eye,  or  light  up  a  smile  in  beauty's 
face,  they  will  feel  that  their  exertions  have 
not  been  altogether  in  vain,  F.  &  R.  Lock- 
wood."  To  add  to  the  "taste  and  elegance" 
of  the  Album,  they  employed  M.  L  Danforth 
to  engrave  a  title-page  with  a  pleasing  vig- 
nette. Danforth  was  an  engraver  of  merit, 
whose  chief  work  was  in  portraits  and  bank- 
note vignettes.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  National  Academy  of  Design  in  1826. 


30 


BINDINGS  BY  CHAMPLEY 

38  Another  copy 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco,  in 
the  same  general  style  as  the  preceding,  but 
without  the  corner  pieces,  and  with  the  name 
of  the  owner,  "Catharine  Ann  Stuyvesant," 
in  gold,  lengthwise  on  the  upper  cover :  light 
blue  end-papers.  In  both  copies  of  the 
"Album"  blank  leaves  are  inserted  at  the  end 
for  manuscript  additions,  and  in  this  copy 
several  poems  have  been  written. 

While  this  is  probably  the  work  of  Cham- 
pley,  it  shows  interestingly  the  repeated  use 
of  roulettes  of  the  same  pattern  by  various 
New  York  binders.  The  gold  border  is  like 
that  used  by  Megarey  on  No.  40,  and  also  by 
Brown  on  No.  48,  while  the  blind  roll  is  seen 
on  No.  46  bound  by  Wilson  and  Nichols. 
The  points  of  resemblance  between  the  work 
of  Megarey  and  Champley  in  particular  are 
numerous  enough  to  give  rise  to  the  question 
of  a  possible  connection  between  the  two. 

39  Sproat,  Mrs.  N. 

Village  Poems.  New- York :  Pub- 
lished by  Samuel  Wood  &  Sons 
.  .  .  [n.d.]  Woodcut  frontispiece 
by  Anderson.  5i^3%  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  gold  and  blind 
rolled  borders,  and,  on  its  front  cover,  "  in  an 
oval,  a  sphere,  books,  and  hour-glass,  quills, 
and,  in  a  flash  of  lightning,  the  name  of 
America.     In  the  border  of  the  oval,  Prix 

3« 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Institution  deMd.  O'Kill  is  inscribed";  back 
gold  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers  and  edges, 
with  ticket  of  G.  Champley. 

From  the  McKee  collection. 

The  stamp  in  the  .center  has  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  added  when  the  volume 
was  chosen  for  use  as  a  prize  in  the  school  of 
Mrs.  Mary  O'Kill.  "Before  1837  Mrs.  Mary 
O'Kill,  a  lady  of  refinement,  the  daughter  of 
Sir  James  Jay,  had  her  institution  in  Barclay 
Street.  Here  almost  every  young  miss  of 
distinction  had  her  first  training,  and  many 
completed  their  education  under  her  guid- 
ance." [Memorial  History  of  the  City  of  New - 
York,  edited  by  James  Grant  Wi/son.] 

This  binding  is  reproduced  in  American 
Bookbindings  in  t/ie  Library  of  Henry  W. 
Poor. 


HENRY  I.  MEGAREY 
New  York,  1819-1821 

40  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
Stereotyped  by  D.  &  G.  Bruce,  New- 
York.  New- York:  Published  by 
Henry  I.  Megarey.  1819.  [Printed 
by  J.  &  J.  Harper.]  Frontispiece  by 
Gimbrede,  and  plates  engraved  by 
Heath.  The  engraved  title,  by  Tan- 
ner, Vallance,  Kearny  &  Co.,  reads: 
"Megarey's  Elegant  Edition  of  the 
32 


BINDINGS  BY  MEGAREY 

Book  of  Common  Prayer  according 
to  the  use  of  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America  [Vignette]  Published  by 
Henry  I.  Megarey  New  York  1818." 

9f  x6  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight- grained  morocco, 
with  border  formed  by  wide  gold  roll  between 
two  narrow  blind  rolls,  interrupted  at  the 
corners  by  squares,  gold  and  blind  tooled. 
Within  this  border  are  two  narrow  blind  rolls, 
forming  a  panel  containing  the  name  of  the 
original  owner,  "  Beverly  Chew."  The  back  is 
divided  by  raised  bands  into  compartments, 
three  of  which  are  elaborately  gold  tooled, 
those  at  the  head  and  foot  are  rolled ;  orange 
end-papers.  The  binder's  ticket  reads: 
"Bound  by  H.  I.  Megarey,  New  York." 

A  newspaper  clipping  of  about  1875,  bear- 
ing Mr.  Richard  Grant  White's  panegyric 
upon  another  copy  of  this  book,  similarly 
bound,  which  is  quoted  by  Mr.  Andrews  in 
his  Bibliopegy  in  the  United  States,  is  inserted, 
and  we  give  portions  which  refer  to  the  bind- 
ing: 

"The  binding,  which  is  in  straight-grained, 
crimson  morocco,  is  such  as  William  Matthews 
need  not  be  ashamed  of,  and  such,  indeed,  as 
he  himself  puts  only  on  the  finest,  specially 
ordered,  'extra'  work.  The  taste  of  the  or- 
nament would  not  have  satisfied  Count  Grolier, 
but  it  is  far  better  than  that  of  the  usual  Eng- 
lish work  of  its  period,  and  the  delicacy  of 

Z3 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

the  tooling,  both  the  gilt  and  the  dead  work, 
and  the  exactness  of  the  mitring  are  quite 
equal  to  that  of  the  most  celebrated  English 
binders  of  the  time.  ...  It  might  be  supposed 
that  this  copy  was  specially  bound  to  order 
.  .  .  but  it  is  not  so.  This  copy  is  not  only 
one  of  two  exactly  ahke  which  were  in  my 
father's  pew  in  St.  George's  Church  in  Beek- 
man  Street,  but  I  have  seen  other  copies  of  it 
exactly  like  these  in  design  and  execution, 
although  the  work  is  not  done  with  a  stamp ; 
but  what  is  known  as  hand-tooling.  This 
shows  that  the  book  was  bound  up  for  general 
sale  in  this  style,  and  although  it,  of  course, 
must  have  been  very  costly  at  the  time,  par- 
ticularly as  it  is  illustrated  with  line  engrav- 
ings, none  the  less  is  it  like  St.  Paul's  Church, 
the  old  City  Hall,  and  the  statue  of  Hamilton, 
a  witness  to  the  taste  and  culture  of  New 
York  and  the  skill  of  her  artisans  fifty  years 
and  more  ago." 

Mr.  White  regretted  that  the  binder  of  the 
volume  was  unknown  to  him,  but  the  ticket 
in  the  present  copy  shows  that  the  publisher, 
who  is  also  known  as  a  stationer,  printer,  and 
print-seller,  was  also  the  binder  of  the  edition. 
The  two  other  copies  displayed  here  show 
slight  variations  only. 

41  Another  copy 

Bound  in  blue,  straight-grained  morocco, 
in  the  same  style  as  the  above.  The  chief 
difference  is  in  the  wide  gold  border,  which 
is  formed,  in  this  copy,  by  fifteen  gold  lines, 

34 


BINDINGS  BY  MEGAREY 

and  in  the  design  of  the  corner  pieces,  which 
is  more  delicate,  and  all  in  gold.  The  same 
tools  appear  in  the  compartments  of  the  back, 
with  some  additional  blind  work.  The  name 
of  the  owner,  "  Harriet  Ann  Corp,"  is  length- 
wise in  gold  in  the  center  panel ;  purple  end- 
papers. 

42  Another  copy 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight-grained  mo- 
rocco in  the  same  style  as  the  others,  but 
more  closely  resembling  the  first;  gothic  let- 
tering on  the  back  ;  yellow  end-papers. 

This  copy  is  reproduced  in  Bibliopegy  in 
the  United  States,  by  IV.  L.  Andrews, 

43  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
Stereotyped  by  D.  &  G.  Bruce, 
New- York.  New- York:  Published 
by  Henry  I.  Megarey.  1820.  Front- 
ispiece engraved  by  Durand. 

6f  X  4  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border,  and  two  narrow  inner  rolls  in  blind 
work ;  back  in  compartments  gold  tooled  and 
rolled;  marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 
There  is  no  binder's  ticket,  but  the  likeness 
of  the  rolls  and  the  back  to  the  preceding 
numbers  seems  to  show  that  this  is  Megarey's 
work. 

Copy  of  Alexander  J.  Davis,  the  artist  and 
architect,  with  his  autograph. 

35 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

44  Rogers,  Samuel,  and  Merry, 

Robert 

The  Pleasures  of  Memory,  and  other 
Poems  by  Samuel  Rogers,  Esq.  To 
which  is  added  The  Pains  of  Memory, 
by  Robert  Merry,  A.M.  New- York: 
Published  by  R.  &  W.  A.  Bartow 
.  .  .  and  W.  A.  Bartow,  Richmond, 
(Vir.)  J.  Gray  &  Co.,  Printers. 
1820.  Title-page  engraved  by  P. 
Maverick.  [An  engraving  by  Du- 
rand  is  lacking  in  this  copy.] 

5f  X3^  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border  and  inner  blind  roll,  forming  a  panel 
which  is  entirely  covered  by  a  single  blind 
stamp ;  back  in  compartments,  gold  tooled, 
with  title  in  center  compartment ;  marbled 
end-papers,  and  binder's  ticket.  The  gold 
palmette  border  is  the  same  as  one  of  the 
blind  rolls  found  in  No.  41,  and  was  much 
used  by  Megarey. 

45  Gray,  Thomas 

Gray's  Letters  &  Poems,  with  a 
Life  of  the  Author.  New-York : 
Published  by  R.  &  W.  A .  Bartow, 
and  by  W.  A.  Bartow  &  Co.,  Rich- 
mond, (Vir.)  Gray  &  Bunce,  Printers. 

36 


BINDING    BY   WILSON    AND    NICHOLS 

1821.      Frontispiece    engraved    by 
Pekenino.  5f  x  ^^  inches. 

The  binding  with  Megarey's  ticket  is  prac- 
tically the  same  as  that  of  the  preceding 
number,  the  two  books  being  published  uni- 
formly by  Bartow  ;  green  end-papers. 

WILSON  AND  NICHOLS 
New  York,  1825 

Golden,  Cadwallader  David 

Memoir,  prepared  at  the  Request  of 
a  Committee  of  the  Common  Coun- 
cil of  the  City  of  New  York,  and 
presented  to  the  Mayor  of  the  City, 
at  the  Celebration  of  the  Completion 
of  the  New  York  Canals  . .  .  Printed 
by  Order  of  the  Corporation  of  New 
York,  by  W.  A.  Davis.  1825.  En- 
gravings by  A.  B.  Durand  &  others ; 
lithographs  by  Imbert  &  Co.,  colored 
maps  engraved  by  B.  T.  Welch  & 
Co.,  and  other  illustrations. 

10x8  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  double  gold  rolled  border,  interrupted 
at  the  comers  by  gold  tooled  squares.  (See 
also  No.  50.)  An  inner  blind  roll  is  the  same 
as  that  used  in  No.  38  and  the  gold  roll  in 
No.  43  which  have  been  for  other  reasons  as- 

37 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

cribed  to  Champley  and  Megarey.  At  its 
corners  are  blind  tools,  repeated  in  gold  on 
the  back.  The  seal  of  the  City  of  New  York 
is  blind  stamped  in  the  center.  Three  of  the 
compartments  of  the  back  are  occupied  by 
the  Tudor  rose  in  gold,  surrounded  by  geomet- 
rical figures  and  gold  tools.  At  the  foot  is 
the  name  of  the  binders ;  yellow  end-papers. 
Preceding  the  Memoir  are  "Directions  to 
Messrs.  Wilson  and  Nichols,  Bookbinders, 
No.  2,  Pine  Street,  for  placing  the  Plates," 
ending  with :  "  Note. — The  seal  of  the  City 
to  be  impressed  on  the  Books  designated  by 
the  Corporation." 

The  names  of  Wilson  and  Nichols  are  in 
Longworth's  New  York  City  Directory  for 
1826-7,  with  the  address.  Pine  Street,  corner 
of  Broadway. 

The  Memoir  is  followed  by  a  copious 
appendix  giving  full  details  of  the  celebration 
and  events  connected  with  it,  and  careful 
descriptions  of  the  illustrations  used  in  the  work. 

In  the  "Order  for  the  Procession,"  which 
took  place  on  November  3,  1825,  we  read 
that  1 44  bookbinders  formed  the  twenty-fourth 
body  in  line,  preceded  by  the  printers  and 
followed  by  the  booksellers,  stationers,  and 
music  dealers,  after  whom  marched  the 
students  of  Columbia  College.  The  names 
of  several  binders  are  saved  from  oblivion  by 
this  notice,  for  it  states  that  Charles  Starr, 
mounted,  was  marshal  of  the  bookbinders, 
assisted  by  Joseph  Foster  and  Robert  Batie. 
After  these  came  the  banner  borne  by  Chris- 
tian   Brown,  supported    by  John    Day  and 

38 


BINDING  BY   WILSON   AND   NICHOLS 

William  Walker.  The  bearer  of  the  banner 
was  doubtless  that  C.  Brown  who  was  em- 
ployed, two  years  later,  by  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Press,  and  could  do  excellent  work, 
as  No.  48  of  this  exhibition  shows.  The 
banner,  devised  by  William  Wrag,  who,  with 
the  Committee  of  Arrangement,  marched  next 
in  the  procession,  is  described  thus:  "On 
the  left  Time,  with  his  scythe,  prepared  to 
destroy  the  literature  with  which  the  world  is 
favoured  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
Press ;  On  the  right,  with  a  roll  in  her 
hand  stands  the  Genius  of  Literature,  with  a 
smiling  countenance,  pointing  to  the  centre 
of  the  piece,  which  represents  the  interior  of 
a  Bindery — workmen  in  the  act  of  binding 
books  to  preserve  them  from  the  ravages  of 
.Time.  On  the  reverse  the  Arms  of  the  State 
of  New  York."  Each  binder  in  the  procession 
wore  a  silk  badge,  representing  the  Erie 
Canal  and  its  Locks,  with  the  motto,  "  De- 
vised by  Genius,  Performed  by  Industry," 
suspended  from  two  morocco  stars,  with  gold 
rays  darting  from  the  center,  which  contained 
the  same  device  as  the  central  part  of  the 
banner.  "  About  midway  from  front  to  rear 
appeared  a  ponderous  Volume  preceded  by 
the  finishers,  John  Bradford  and  Isaac  Peck- 
ham,  it  was  labelled  'Erie  Canal  Statistics,' 
and  was  prepared  for  the  occasion ;  when 
spread  open  it  measured  foiufeet  eight  inches 
by  three  feet.  It  was  bound  in  red  morocco, 
and  superbly  ornamented  with  gold,  in  the 
first  style  of  workmanship,  and  mounted  on  a 
hand-barrow,  tastefully  decorated,  borne  by 

39 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

four  apprentices,  and  supported  by  four 
ribbons  attached  to  its  upper  part,  held  by 
four  other  apprentices." 

A  similar  copy  is  reproduced  in  Bibliopegy 
in  the  United  States  by  W.  L.  Andrews. 

47  Another  copy 

Bound  in  half  calf,  with  paper  label  bearing 
the  inscription:  [Printed]  "Presented  By  the 
City  of  New- York,  to  [written]  Theodorus 
Bailey  Esquire  Post  Master  for  the  City  of 
New  York  1827." 

C.  BROWN 
New  York,  i827-i834(?) 

48  [Hart,  Miss] 

Letters  from  the  Bahama  Islands. 
Written  in  1823-4.  Philadelphia: 
H.  C.  Carey  and  I.  Lea  —  Chestnut 
Street.     1827.  6^x4  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue,  straight-grained  mo- 
rocco, bordered  with  the  same  gold  roll  as  that 
used  by  Megarey  in  Nos.  40  and  42,  and  by 
Champley  (?)  in  No.  38.  It  is  interrupted  at 
the  corners  by  gold  tooled  squares.  Within,  a 
panel  is  formed  by  fillets,  with  small  gold  tools 
at  the  comers.  Back  broken  by  fillets  into 
gold  tooled  and  dotted  panels ;  yellow  end- 
papers. Binder's  ticket  as  follows :  "  Bound 
at  the  New- York  Prot.  Epis.  Press,  No.  8 
Rector-St.,  New- York.     C.  Brown,  Binder." 

40 


BINDINGS  BY  TURNER 

C.  Brown  is  probably  that  Christian  Brown 
on  whom  the  honor  of  bearing  the  binders* 
banner  was  conferred,  in  the  great  Canal 
Celebration  of  1825.     (See  No.  46.) 

The  authorship  of  this  work  is  ascribed  by 
Gushing  to  "Miss  Hart."  The  presentation 
inscription  reads :  "  Miss  H.  H.  Hart,  with 
the  respect  and  tender  affection  of  the  Au- 
thor." 


49  Macvickar,  John 

The  Early  Years  of  the  late  Bishop 
Hobart .  .  .  New- York :  Printed  at 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Press. 
1834.     [B.  Curtis  Brown,   Printer.] 

7:j-x4-|-  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco,  with 
gold  rolled  border,  and  narrow  inner  border, 
blind  rolled ;  back  broken  into  two  small,  and 
one  large,  gold  tooled  panels,  at  foot  the  same 
roll  used  in  border  of  the  preceding ;  violet 
end-papers. 

This  seems  to  be  the  work  of  C.  Brown, 
who  bound  for  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Press  in  1827. 

LEVIN  TURNER, 
New  York,  1827 -1828 

50  The  Talisman  for  mdcccxxviii. 
Elam  Bliss,  Broadway,  New- York. 

41 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

1827.  [J*  Seymour,  Printer.]  Fron- 
tispiece and  plates  engraved  by- 
Peter  Maverick,  V.  Balch,  G.  B. 
Ellis,  A.  B.  Durand,  and  G.  W. 
Hatch.  5-|x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border,  like  that  used  by  Wilson  &  Nichols  in 
No.  46,  and  which  is  found  again  in  No. 
94;  center  panel  entirely  covered  by  a 
single  blind  stamp,  the  same  as  that  used  by 
Megarey  in  Nos.  44  and  45  :  back  gold  and 
blind  rolled,  title  in  center;  old  blue  end- 
papers. 

From  the  preface  of  The  Talisman  for  the 
next  year,  which  is  quoted  in  the  following 
number,  and  from  certain  resemblances,  it 
seems  reasonable  to  ascribe  the  bindings  of 
both  volumes  to  Turner. 

The  Talisman  was  edited  by  William  Cullen 
Bryant,  Verplanck  and  Sands,  under  the 
pseudonym  of  Francis  Herbert.  In  this  first 
annual  volume,  we  are  told,  in  explanation 
of  the  title,  that  "  the  book  was  printed  with 
virgin  types;  the  type-setters  were  all  born 
under  the  planet  Mercury;  the  burines  of 
the  engravers  have  moved  under  benignant 
stellar  aspects ;  and  my  publisher  has  the 
most  auspicious  and  fortunate  name  that  can 
be  found  in  the  whole  Directory  [Bliss].  The 
paper  was  sized  with  strict  observation  of  the 
planetary  hour,  when  Jupiter  and  Mars  were 
in  conjunction  in  Libra,  in  the  seventh  house 
of  heaven,  whilst  Venus  lorded  the  ascendant, 

4a 


BINDINGS  BY  TURNER 


culminating  from  the  very  ridge  of  the  plan- 
etary house." 

This  binding  is  reproduced  in  American 
Bookbindings  in  the  Library  of  Henry  W, 
Poor. 


51  The  Talisman  for  mdcccxxix 
Elam  Bliss,  Broadway,  New-York. 
1828.  [J.  Seymour,  Printer.]  Fron- 
tispiece and  plates  engraved  by 
A.  B.  Durand,  G.  W.  Hatch,  G.  B. 
Ellis,  and  Peter  Maverick. 

5f  X3f  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border,  and  very  narrow  inner  blind  border ; 
back  in  gold  tooled  panels;  marbled  end- 
papers. 

From  the  following  extract  from  the  preface 
it  may  be  inferred  that  Turner  was  the  binder 
of  The  Talisman  for  both  years,  especially  as 
the  present  volume  has  on  the  inside  of  its 
cover  the  gold  roll  used  on  the  preceding. 

"I  have  entered  with  interest  into  the 
minutest  arrangements  made  by  my  book- 
seller for  printing  and  embellishing  this  vol- 
ume ;  and  when,  in  addition  to  those  already 
mentioned, he  promised  me  DONALDSON'S 
paper  and  TURNER'S  binding,  I  was  satis- 
fied that  the  mechanical  execution  of  the  work 
would  be  every  thing  that  I  could  expect.  I 
therefore  send  forth  to  the  world  this  Second 
Talisman.     Private  information  has  justified 

43 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

me  in  my  claim  of  mystic  efficacy  for  the  first. 
This  has  been  prepared  under  the  same  aus- 
pices and  with  the  same  ceremonies ;  nor  can 
I  doubt  that  it  will  possess  the  same  virtues 
with  its  predecessor." 

The  name  of  Levin  Turner,  bookbinder,  ap- 
pears in  the  New  York  Directory  for  1828. 


ARCHIBALD  E.  MILLER 
Charleston,  S.  C,  1818  -  1827 

52  Charleston  City  Council 

Digest  of  the  Ordinances  of  the  City- 
Council  of  Charleston,  from  the  year 
1783  to  July,  1 8 18  .  .  .  Charles- 
ton ..  .  Archibald  E.  Miller,  Prin- 
ter.   July  15,  1818.     8fx  5:^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  skiver,  with  conventional 
gold  rolled  border,  and  name  of  owner  in 
gold  letters,  lengthwise  on  upper  cover; 
marbled  end-papers.  From  the  similarity  of 
the  bindings  of  the  three  books  which  bear 
Miller's  imprint  we  are  led  to  suppose  that 
they  are  the  work  of  the  same  binder,  who 
was  probably  Miller  himself. 

53  The  same  as  No.   52,  with 

another  bound  in,  bringing  the  ordi- 
nances down  to  1823.  The  latter  is 
also  printed  by  Archibald  E.  Miller. 

44 


BINDING    BY  SEYMOUR 

Bound  in  crimson  morocco,  with  a  graceful 
rolled  border  of  grape-vines  in  gold  (see  also 
Nos.  54  and  91);  back  gold  rolled ;  mar- 
bled end-papers. 

54  [Turnbull,  Robert  James] 

The  Crisis :  or,  Essays  on  the  Usur- 
pation of  the  Federal  Government. 
By  Brutus.  Charleston :  Printed  by 
A.  E.  Miller,  1827.       Sfxsi  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  brown  calf,  with  the  same 
rolled  border  as  the  preceding,  but  with  the 
addition  of  fillets  and  a  center  panel,  with 
small  tools  in  the  corners ;  back  elaborately 
tooled  in  gold  ;  terra-cotta  end-papers. 

WILLIAM  SEYMOUR 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  i82o(?) 

55  Trumbull,  John 

The  Poetical  Works  of  John  Trum- 
bull . . .  Hartford :  Printed  for  Samuel 
G.  Goodrich,  by  Lincoln  &  Stone. 
1820.  Two  volumes  in  one,  with 
portrait,  engraved  title-pages  and 
plates  engraved  by  P.  Maverick,  Du- 
rand  &  Co.,  and  others. 

9x5-1  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  wide  gold  and 
narrow  blind  rolled  borders,  both  resembling 

45 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

those  used  by  Megarey;  a  center  panel  is 
formed  by  a  painted  band,  within  blind  Hnes 
and  blind  tooled  corner  pieces ;  within  the 
panel  a  lozenge  is  formed  by  painted  bands 
and  blind  rolls ;  back  with  broad  raised  bands, 
and  elaborately  gold  tooled  and  rolled  com- 
partments; title  in  center;  marbled  end- 
papers, and  binder's  ticket  with  inscription 
within  a  wreath,  as  follows:  "Wm.  Seymour 
Fancy  &  Blank  Book  Binder  Albany." 

H.  DE  SILVER 
Philadelphia,  1823- 1826 

56  Autograph  Album.  1823 

9|-x  7f  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  green,  straight-grained  mo- 
rocco, with  a  gold  roll  of  detached  flowers, 
open  dots  and  ornaments,  within  which  is  a 
blind  roll  of  minute  flowers.  A  lozenge, 
formed  in  the  center  by  two  narrow  gold  and 
two  blind  rolls,  with  small  gold  tooled  flowers 
at  the  corners,  contains  the  name  of  the 
owner  in  gold,  "  Miss  Mary  F.  Donnell." 
The  back  is  gold  rolled  and  tooled  and  has  a 
label  of  red  morocco,  with  the  word 
"  Album,"  and  the  date,  "  1823."  Marbled 
end-papers,  and  binder's  ticket  as  follows: 
"Bound  by  H.  De  Silver  No.  no  Walnut 
Street,  PhiladV 

Much  of  the  skill  of  the  binders  of  the 
early  eighteenth  century  was  exercised  in  the 
coverings  of  these  tokens  of  friendship  which 

46 


BINDING   BY  GIHON 

all  young  ladies  of  well  regulated  up-bring- 
ing seem  to  have  owned. 

57  [O'Keefe,  John] 

Lopez  &  Wemyss'  edition.  The 
Acting  American  Theater.  Wild 
Oats,  with  a  Portrait  of  Mr.  Francis, 
(Father  of  the  American  Stage,)  as 
Sir  George  Thunder  .  .  .  Pub- 
lished by  A.  R.  Poole,  Chestnut 
Street,  for  the  Proprietors,  and  to  be 
had  of  all  the  principal  booksellers 
in  the  United  States.  Price,  ^yi 
cents.  [Philadelphia]  J.  R.  M.  Bick- 
ing,  Printer, — 1826.  Portrait  en- 
graved by  J.  B.  Longacre. 

7^x4!  inches. 

Bound  in  citron  calf,  with  same  gold  and 
blind  rolled  borders  as  the  preceding ;  back 
ornamented  with  fillets,  rolls  and  small  tools 
in  gold,  title  in  center ;  marbled  end-papers. 
There  is  no  binder's  ticket,  but  the  combined 
use  of  the  two  unusual  rolls  makes  it  probable 
that  this  also  is  the  work  of  De  Silver. 

D.  W.  GIHON 
Philadelphia,  1839 

58  Hymns  of  Zion  with  Appropriate 
Music  .  .  .  By  an  Evangelist.     Phil- 

47 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

adelphia :  Thomas,  Cowperthwait 
&  Co.  1839.  [Printed  on  yellow 
paper.]  6^x4^  inches. 

Bound  in  black,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  gold  rolled  border  and  large  gold  stamp 
in  the  center,  consisting  of  a  rectangle  with 
the  title,  surmounted  by  a  cross  surrounded 
by  rays,  reproducing  a  gold  design  on  the 
fly-leaf  made  to  contain  the  owner's  name ; 
back  broken  into  panels  formed  by  gouges 
and  small  tools;  yellow  end-papers,  and 
binder's  ticket  as  follows:  "D.  W.  Gihon, 
Book  Binder,  S.  W.  cor.  of  George  &  Swan- 
wick  St." 

GEORGE  COLMAN 

Portland,  Maine,  1832 (?) 

59  Bryant,  William  Cullen 

Poems.  New- York:  Published  by 
E.    Bliss,   1832.  7:^  X  4-|- inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  gold  rolled  and 
filleted  border,  and  small  gold  tools  at  the 
corners ;  back  decorated  by  a  roll  extending 
lengthwise,  with  panels  at  top  and  bottom, 
formed  by  fillets  and  gouges,  bearing  the  title 
and  the  inscription  "Mrs.  J.  S.  Little,  from 
Wm.  Paine";  marbled  end-papers.  The 
binder's  ticket  reads :  *'  Bound  by  Geo.  Col- 
man,  Portland." 


48 


BINDINGS  ORNAMENTED 
BY  ROLLED  BORDERS 

A  LARGE  number  of  early  bindings  have 
their  sides  decorated  with  more  or  less  elaborate, 
rolled  borders,  with  little  further  adorn- 
ment, except  upon  the  backs  of  the  books, 
which  are  sometimes  very  ornate.  This 
manner  seems  to  have  attained  its  highest  de- 
gree of  excellence  in  the  twenties  and  thirties 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

60  [Bentley,  William] 

A  Collection  of  Psalms  and  Hymns 
for  Public  Worship.  Boston :  Printed 
by  Rowe  &  Hooper.  1814.  Third 
edition.  Si^S  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  gold  rolled 
border  almost  identical  with  that  used  by 
Megarey  in  182 1  (see  No.  45),  small  blind 
tools  in  the  corners,  and  large  gold  tools  used 
twice  in  the  center ;  back  broken  into  com- 
partments and  gold  tooled;  marbled  end- 
papers and  goffered  edges. 

61  Buckminster,  Joseph  Stevens 

Sermons  .  .  .  Boston:  Printed  by 
John   Eliot,    No.    5,   Court   Street. 

49 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

1814.  First  edition,  with  portrait 
engraved  by  D.  Edwin. 

9f  x6f  inches. 

Bound  in  light  green,  straight-grained 
morocco,  with  three  narrow  rolled  borders  of 
delicate  design,  one  blind  between  two  gold. 
At  the  corners  are  Roger  Payne  tools,  used 
twice  in  each  corner,  giving  a  graceful  effect ; 
back  divided  by  gold  fillets,  dotted  lines  and 
small  meander  roll,  into  compartments  decor- 
ated in  the  manner  of  Roger  Payne ;  marbled 
end-papers. 

62  The  Mirror  of  the  Graces;  or, 

The  EngHsh  Lady's  Costume  .  .  . 
By  a  Lady  of  Distinction  .  .  .  New- 
York:  Published  by  I.  Riley  .  .  . 
L.  Deare,  Print.  N.  Brunswick.  1815. 
Colored  engravings.     5-Jx  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  citron  morocco,  with  narrow  gold 
rolled  border ;  back  gold  rolled  and  tooled ; 
marbled  end-papers  and  edges ;  "  Directions 
to  the  Binder  to  place  the  Plates,"  on  verso 
of  title-page. 

63  Thomson,  James 

The  Seasons . . .  New  York  :  Printed 
for  Richard  Scott,  and  Forbes  &  Co., 
.  .  .  1816.  Four  plates  engraved  by 
Roberts.  5f  x  3-2- inches. 

50 


BINDINGS   ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

Bound  in  crimson  roan,  with  gold  rolled 
border  of  minute  flowers  and  leaves  ;  back 
gold  rolled  and  tooled,  with  title  in  center ; 
marbled  end-papers  and  yellow  edges. 

64  Bennett,  John 

Letters  to  a  Young  Lady  .  .  .  Phila- 
delphia: Published  by  Anthony 
Finley  .  .  .  William  Fry,  Printer. 
1818.  5^  X  3-g- inches. 

Bound  in  dark  brown  calf,  with  border 
formed  by  gold  band  and  two  gold  and  two 
narrow  blind  rolls,  with  figures  formed  by 
gouges  at  the  corners ;  back  gold  rolled  and 
tooled ;  marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 

65  Key  to  the  First  Chart  of  the 
Masonic  Mirror  .  .  .  Philadelphia: 
Published  by  H.  Parmele.  J.  Max- 
well, Printer.  l8ig.  Frontispiece 
engraved  by  A.  Anderson. 

5|x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  red  morocco,  with  minute 
gold  rolled  border;  back  decorated  with 
masonic  emblems  in  gold. 

Copy  "  presented  by  the  author  to  his  Ex- 
cellency De  Witt  Clinton,"  with  the  latter's 
book-plate  engraved  by  Maverick. 


5» 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

66  Harris,  Thaddeus  Mason 
Hymns  for  the  Lord's  Supper  .  .  . 
Boston:   Printed  by  Sewell  Phelps, 
No.  5,  Court  Street.     1820. 

5f  x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue,  straight-grained 
morocco,  bordered  by  gold  fillets,  a  very 
narrow  gold  roll  and  a  slightly  wider  blind 
roll.  The  gold  roll  is  the  same  as  one  used 
in  No.  61,  and  the  back  is  very  similar,  mak- 
ing it  probable  that  Phelps,  who  succeeded  to 
the  same  address  as  John  Eliot,  came  into 
possession  of  his  tools,  or  employed  the  same 
binder,  whose  work  is  unusual  and  some  of  the 
best  of  this  period ;  purple  end-papers. 

67  Autograph  Album.   About  1823. 

8  X  6-|-  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco,  with 
wide  gold  rolled  border  of  bold  design,  and 
narrow  blind  rolled  inner  border,  which  is  re- 
peated in  gold  fovu:  times  on  the  back  and  on 
the  inside  of  the  cover.  (This  is  the  palmette 
roll  used  repeatedly  by  Megarey,  who  is 
also  suggested  by  the  general  design  of  the 
back  and  the  quality  of  the  morocco.)  Back 
otherwise  rolled  and  figure  formed  by  small 
tools  repeated  in  two  compartments  on  a 
dotted  ground,  title  in  center;  bright  green 
end-papers. 


5« 


BINDINGS  ORNAMENTED  BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

68  [Furman,  Garrit  Maspeth] 
Rural  Hours  .   .  .  [Maspeth,  1824.] 
Title-page  and  plates  designed  by 
G.    Furman,    engraved    by    A.    B. 
Durand.  8x5  inches. 

Bound  in  blue,  straight- grained  morocco, 
with  gold  rolled  border,  and  blind  rolled  inner 
border  of  same  design  ;  back  in  gold  tooled 
and /<?/«////<?  panels;  marbled  end-papers. 

The  author's  copy,  with  his  autograph  at 
the  end  of  the  volume. 

69  [Hymn-Book.      Title-page  want- 
ing.    Preface  date,  1825.] 

7-g-x4-|  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue  morocco,  with  wide 
gold  and  narrow  blind  rolled  borders,  resem- 
bling two  used  by  Champleyand  Megarey  of 
New  York;  back  gold  rolled  and  tooled; 
marbled  end-papers. 

70  Bible 

The  Self  Interpreting  Bible,  with  an 
Evangelical  Commentary  by  the  late 
Revd.  John  Brown  .  .  .  Brown's 
Splendid  Bible.  1826.  Frontispiece, 
engraved  title-page  and  plates. 

18x1 1|-  inches. 

Bound  in  Russia  leather,  with  gold  rolled 
palmette  border,  and  names  of  owners  in  gold 

53 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

in  center  of  upper  cover,  "Joseph  &  Margaret 
Perego";  back  in  compartments  elaborately 
gold  rolled  and  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers. 


71  Quotations  from  the  British 
Poets  .  .  .  Philadelphia:  R.  W. 
Pomeroy  .  .  .  1826.  Frontispiece 
engraved  by  Longacre. 

5f  x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  wide  gold 
rolled  border,  within  which  are  three  dotted 
lines,  with  small  tools  at  the  corners ;  back  in 
gold  tooled  compartments;  marbled  end- 
papers and  edges. 

72  A    Selection     of    Hymns    and 

Psalms  .  .  .  Boston:  Stereotyped  at 
the  Boston  Type  and  Stereotype 
Foundry — late  T.  H.  Carter  &  Co. 
1826.  6x3-1  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  narrow  gold 
rolled  border ;  back  gold  rolled ;  marbled  end- 
papers. Owner's  name,  "J.  H.  Thayer," 
lengthwise  in  center  of  upper  cover,  in  gold. 

']'i^  [Halleck,  Fitz-Greene] 

Alnwick  Castle,  with  other  Poems. 
New- York:  Published  by  G.  &  C. 

54 


j^ 


BINDINGS  ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

Carvill    .     .     .     Elliott   &    Palmer, 
Printers.     1827.     First  edition. 

8-J-X5-J  inches. 

Bound  in  brown  calf,  with  two  blind  rolled 
borders;  the  outer  border,  which  is  a  roll 
much  used  by  Megarey,  Champleyand  others, 
is  outlined  by  gold  and  painted  bands,  with 
small  flowers  gold  tooled  at  the  corners ;  back 
with  painted  raised  bands,  outlined  by  fillets ; 
marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 

74  Autograph  Album.    About  1828. 

9  X  7|-  inches. 

Bound  in  old  blue  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border  representing  a  grape-vine  similar  to  that 
used  by  Champley  on  the  inside  of  the  cover  of 
No.  37,  but  not  the  same  as  that  used  on  Nos. 
53i  54>  ^3>  ^"d  91  ;  a  center  panel  is  formed 
by  a  series  of  blind  rolls,  giving  an  elaborate 
effect ;  back  gold  tooled  with  the  Tudor  rose 
in  manner  similar  to  No.  46,  bound  by 
Wilson  &  Nichols,  which,  together  with  the 
use  of  the  grape-vine  roll,  makes  it  probable 
that  this  was  done  in  New  York ;  marbled 
end-papers,  and  red  leather  ex-libris  of  "  A.  M. 
Hall." 


75  The  Picture  of  New-York,  and 
Stranger's  Guide  .  .  .  New-York: 
Published  by  A.  T.  Goodrich  .  .  . 
[1828].        Frontispiece,    plates  and 

55 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

map  engraved  by  J.  Yeager  and 
others.  5|-  x  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  very  narrow  gold  and  blind  rolled 
borders ;  back  gold  rolled  and  tooled,  title  in 
center. 

76  Pollok,  Robert 

The  Course  of  Time  .  .  .  Published 
by  Crocker  and  Brewster,  Boston 
.  .  .  Stereotyped  at  the  Boston  Type 
and  Stereotype  Foundry.  1828. 
Third  American,  from  the  third 
Edinburgh  edition.     Portrait. 

6|x4|-  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  gold  rolled  border  and  fillets,  slightly 
tooled  at  the  corners;  back  in  gold  tooled 
panels ;  marbled  end-papers  and  goffered  edges. 

']^  The  Token,  a  Christmas  and  New 
Year's  Present.  PubHshed  by  S.  G. 
Goodrich,  Boston  .  .  .  1828.  [Isaac 
R.  Butts  &  Co.  —  Printers.]  Frontis- 
piece, engraved  title,  and  plates,  en- 
graved by  Thomas  Kelly,  John 
Cheney,  V.  Balch,  G.  B.  Ellis,  Wil- 
liam Hoogland  and  C.  Toppan. 

6:^x4  inches. 

56 


BINDINGS   ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

Bound  in  dark  green  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border,  and  inner  blind  rolled  border  of  inter- 
secting bands,  back  divided  by  broad  gold 
tooled  raised  bands  into  compartments,  elab- 
orately gold  tooled ;   light  blue   end-papers. 

This  is  the  first  of  those  annual  volumes, 
the  plan  of  which  was  suggested  to  Mr. 
Goodrich,  he  says  "  by  the  beautiful  volumes, 
which  appear  annually  in  London  under  the 
general  title  of  Souvenirs."  All  of  the  con- 
tributions and  illustrations  were  the  work  of 
American  authors  and  engravers,  and  the  en- 
couragement that  the  publisher  gave  to  young 
authors,  among  whom  was  Nathaniel  Haw- 
thorne, became  proverbial. 

"  In  the  literary  department,"  says  Mr. 
Goodrich,  in  his  preface,  of  the  English  Sou- 
venirs, "  they  are,  with  some  exceptions, 
hght  and  trifling.  Among  the  engravings, 
however,  are  many  of  the  most  exquisite 
specimens  that  the  art  has  produced.  If,  in 
respect  to  the  embellishments,  the  Token  is 
found  inferior  to  the  English  Souvenirs,  the 
Publisher  hopes  that  this  disadvantage  may 
be  compensated,  in  some  degree,  by  the 
higher  interest  in  the  literary  contents  of  the 
volume ;  at  all  events,  as  many  of  the  embel- 
lishments relate  to  American  history,  scenery, 
and  manners,  he  trusts  that  the  work  may 
find  favor  with  those,  who  would  encourage 
every  attempt  to  explore  our  native  mines, 
and  draw  from  them  the  treasures  of  poetry 
and  romance." 


57 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

78  Autograph  Album. 

Album.  New  York.  1829.  Title- 
page  engraved  by  V.Balch. 

8  X  6|-  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  wide  gold  border  of  startling  design,  and 
inner  border,  blind  rolled ;  owner's  initials  on 
upper  cover  in  gold,  "W.  H.  S." ;  the  blind 
roll  is  repeated  in  gold  on  the  back,  which  is 
also  decorated  with  fillets,  and  a  very  wide 
roll ;  yellow  end-papers. 

79  Buckminster,  Joseph  Stevens 

Sermons  .  .  .  Boston.  Published  by 
Carter  and  Hendee  .  .  .  1829. 
[Examiner  Press.]      8|-x5-|  inches. 

Bound  in  bright  green  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border  and  inner  bHnd  border  (the  same  as 
the  gold  roll  used  in  No.  77) ;  back  in  gold 
tooled  panels,  with  gold  roll  at  foot ;  marbled 
end-papers. 

80  Table  of  the  Post  Offices  in  the 

United  States  .  .  .  Washington : 
Printed  by  Duff  Green.     1831. 

7  X  4J  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  gold  and 
blind  rolled  borders,  of  design  used  in  the 
roll  on  the  back  of  No.  79,  and  again  on  the 
inside  of  No.  81 ;  a  center  panel  is  formed 
by  narrow  blind  and  gold  rolls,  the  latter  be- 

58 


BINDINGS  ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

ing  the  same  interlacing  design  as  that  used 
blind  in  No.  77,  with  gold  fleurons  at  the 
comers ;  back  with  gold  tooled  panels,  rolls 
and  painted  bands ;  marbled  end-papers. 

The  resemblance  to  the  three  Boston 
volumes  (Nos.  77,  79,  and  81),  which  seem  to 
be  the  work  of  the  same  binder,  suggests  that 
this  also  was  done  by  him  ;  but  it  is  probably 
a  coincidence,  due  to  the  repetition  of  the  same 
designs  by  the  tool  makers. 

Chief  Justice  Taney's  copy,  with  his  name 
lengthwise  in  the  center  panel,  "  Hon.  Roger 
B.  Taney,  Attorney  General." 


81  The  American  Almanac  and  Re- 
pository of  useful  Knowledge,  for  the 
year  1833.  Boston:  Published  by 
Gray  and  Bowen ;  and  Carter,  Hen- 
dee,  and  Co.  .  .  .  [1832.] 

7|-x4-|  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  gold  rolled  border,  and  narrower  inner 
border,  blind  rolled ;  back  divided  by  broad 
raised  bands,  gold  tooled,  into  compartments, 
three  of  which  contain  gold  tooled  panels ; 
marbled  end-papers.  The  broad  gold  roll  is 
the  same  as  that  used  in  No.  77,  and  again, 
blind,  in  No.  79,  making  it  seem  possible  that 
the  three  are  the  work  of  the  same  binder. 


59 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

82  Flora's  Dictionary.  [Privately 
printed  "  In  the  Month  of  Fruits  and 
the  City  of  Roses."] 

9^x  7f  inches. 

Bound  in  purple  calf,  with  double  gold 
rolled  border  like  that  used  singly  by  Megarey 
in  No.  43,  and  inner  gold  border  like  that 
used  on  No.  89 ;  within  is  another  border, 
blind  rolled,  and  a  bhnd  band,  with  small 
blind  tools  at  the  corners ;  back  gold  tooled ; 
bright  green  end-papers. 

Ss  Flora's  Dictionary.  Baltimore, 
1832.  lOxSx  inches. 

Bound  in  olive,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  broad  blind  and  gold  rolled  borders,  and 
two  narrow  inner  borders,  blind  rolled ;  one 
of  the  last  is  in  the  grape-vine  design  seen  in 
Nos.  53,  54,  and  91  ;  back  in  gold  tooled 
panels ;  on  the  insides  of  the  covers  is  a  por- 
tion of  the  gold  roll  used  by  Champley  in  Nos. 
36  and  37  ;  bright  blue  end-papers. 

84  Jenks,  Benjamin 

Prayers  and  Offices  of  Devotion  .  .  . 
Stereotyped  by  A.  Chandler.  New- 
York:  Published  by  Swords,  Stan- 
ford, &  Co.  .  .  .  1832.    6  X  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  reddish  brown  morocco,  with 
gold  rolled  border  of  bold  design ;  back  dec- 

60 


BINDINGS   ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

orated  with  the  same  border  and  small  de- 
tached flowers,  outlined  in  gold;  marbled 
end-papers. 

85  Bedell,  Gregory  Townsend, 

Translator. 
The  Basket  of  Flowers  .    .    .  Phila- 
delphia:   Published  by  French  and 
Perkins .  .  .  1833.     Frontispiece   by 
Longacre,  and  woodcuts. 

6  X  3|-  inches. 

Bound  in  purple  calf,  with  gold  and  blind 
rolled  borders,  formed  by  series  of  short 
straight  lines  intersecting  at  right  angles ; 
back  gold  tooled ;  marbled  end-papers. 

86  Tappan,  William  Bingham 
The  Poems  of  William  B.  Tappan. 
Philadelphia:   Henry  Perkins  .    .    . 
1834.    [I-    Ashmead  &  Co.,  Print- 
ers.] 6-|- X  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue  calf,  with  gold  rolled 
border,  within  which  is  a  panel  formed  by 
fillets  and  two  narrow  blind  rolls ;  at  the  cor- 
ners are  large  gold  tools  of  a  design  similar 
to  the  gold  roll,  and  these  are  repeated,  re- 
versed, at  the  sides ;  in  the  center  the  name 
of  the  owner  lengthwise  in  gold  "  Mary  Ann 
Miller."  The  gold  roll  is  repeated  in  full  or 
in  part  on  the  top  and  bottom  and  two  raised 

61 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

bands  of  the  back,  and  on  the  insides  and 
the  edges  of  the  cover ;  two  compartments  of 
the  back  are  gold  tooled,  and  the  title  is  in 
the  center ;  marbled  end-papers  imitating  pea- 
cock feathers. 

87  Bible 

The  English  Version  of  the  Polyglot 
Bible  .  .  .  Stereotyped  by  L.  John- 
son. Philadelphia:  Published  by 
Desilver,  Thomas,  &  Co.  .  .  .  1835. 
Frontispieces  and  title  vignettes  en- 
graved by  G.  B.  Ellis. 

Si^Si  inches. 

Bound  in  maroon  Turkey  morocco,  with  gold 
rolled  border,  and  inner  blind  border  of  fillets, 
with  large  device  blind  stamped  at  the  corners, 
and  the  emblem  of  the  Trinity  stamped  in 
gold  in  the  center;  back  decorated  with  a 
band  of  all-over  ornament ;   pink  end-papers. 

88  Knowles,  James  Sheridan 

Select  Dramatic  Works  .  .  .  Bal- 
timore: Edward  J.  Coale  &  Co. 
1835.  Frontispiece  (portrait  of 
Fanny  Kemble).  6  x  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  green  Turkey  morocco,  with  gold 
rolled  border  of  a  palmette  design,  and  an 
inner  blind  roll,  like  that  used  in  No.  81, 
but  narrower;  back  gold  rolled  at  top  and 

62 


BINDINGS   ORNAMENTED   BY  ROLLED   BORDERS 

bottom,  and  broken  into  panels,  within  which 
are  gold  figures  formed  by  small  tools ;  yellow, 
watered  end-papers. 

89  Butler,  Charles 

The  American  Gentleman  .  .  .  Phila- 
delphia: Hogan  &  Thompson.  1836. 
Frontispiece  engraved  by  J.  I.  Pease, 
engraved  title-page,     s^-x  3I-  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  narrow  gold  rolled  border,  and  inner 
blind  rolled  border  of  the  same  design  as 
that  used  in  gold  and  blind  on  No.  85  ;  back 
gold  tooled  in  colonial  design ;  yellow  end- 
papers. 

)0    Wesley,  John,  &  others 

A  Collection  of  Hymns  for  the  Use  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church .  .  . 
New  York :  Published  by  B.  Waugh 
and  T.  Mason,  for  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  ...  J.  Collard, 
Printer.  1836.  [Stereotyped  by 
Henry  W.  Rees.]  4x2^  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  red,  straight-grained 
morocco,  with  narrow  gold  rolled  border,  and 
name  of  owner  lengthwise  in  gold  in  the 
center,  "  Lucy  H.  Bigelow  "  ;  back  gold  rolled 
and  tooled,  with  title  in  center ;  marbled  end- 
papers and  edges. 

63 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

91  Sigourney,  Lydia  Huntley 

Letters  to  Young  Ladies  .  .  .  New- 
York.  Harper  &  Brothers  .  .  .  1837. 
Third  edition.  y^x4.^  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  blind 
filleted  and  tooled  border ;  a  center  panel  is 
formed  by  a  repeat  of  the  outer  border  in 
gold  and  a  gold  grape-vine  roll,  within  which 
is  a  line  of  small  blind  circles ;  a  simple  back 
with  wide,  raised  bands,  gold  tooled ;  yellow 
end-papers,  covered  with  small  brown  figures ; 
at  the  foot  of  the  upper  cover  the  owner's 
name  in  gold, "  Ann  Hall." 

Presentation  copy,  with  author's  autograph. 


64 


ROLLED  BORDERS  AND 
CORNER  PIECES 

A  VARIATION  of  the  rolled  border,  which 
seems  to  have  been  little  used  outside  of  New 
York,  where  it  was  popular  with  some  of  the 
best  binders.  The  most  elaborate  bindings 
which  are  shown  here,  by  Champley,  Megarey, 
and  Brown,  will  be  seen  to  be  in  this 
manner. 

92  Anderson,  Andrew 

An  Inaugural  Dissertation  on  the 
Eupatorium  Perfoliatum  of  Linnaeus 
.  .  .  New  York:  Printed  by  C.  S. 
Van  Winkle  .  .  .  1813. 

8f  X  5f  inches. 

Bound  in  diced  calf,  with  gold  rolled  bor- 
der, interrupted  at  the  comers  by  gold  tooled 
squares ;  narrow  inner  border  blind  tooled ; 
back  gold  rolled  and  tooled;  marbled  end- 
papers. 

An  early  and  simple  example  of  this  man- 
ner of  binding. 

93  [Irving,  Washington] 

A  History  of  New  York  ...  by 
Diedrich  Knickerbocker  .  .  .  Phila- 

65 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

delphia:  Published  by  M.  Thomas. 
J.  Maxwell,  Printer.  l8ig.  Two 
volumes.  Third  edition,  with  fron- 
tispieces by  W.  Finden. 

7xX4f  inches. 

Bound  in  calf,  with  border  formed  by  nar- 
row gold  and  blind  rolls,  interrupted  at  the 
corners  by  squares  slightly  gold  tooled ;  within 
this  border  the  blind  roll  is  repeated  in  gold 
and  there  is  a  blind  meander  roll ;  gold  sprigs 
at  the  comers ;  back  divided  by  rolls  and  fillets 
into  compartments  containing  single  gold 
tools;    title  in  center;  marbled  end-papers. 

Probably  a  crude  attempt  in  Philadelphia 
to  ornament  in  the  manner  successfully  em- 
ployed by  Megarey  on  his  Prayer-Books  of 
the  same  year ;  the  principal  gold  roll  is  one 
used  often  by  Megarey. 

94  Autograph     Album.       Probably 
bound  in  New  York  about  1828. 

9"l  X  71"  inches. 

Bound  in  blue,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  gold  rolled  border,  interrupted  at  the 
corners  by  gold  tooled  squares.  The  gold 
roll  is  repeated  on  the  inside  of  the  cover  and 
at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  back  (which  is 
also  elaborately  gold  tooled),  and  is  the  same 
used  doubly  by  Wilson  and  Nichols  in  No. 
46.  The  comers  of  the  cover  within  the 
border  are  decorated  with  a  combination  of 
blind  tools,  and  the  center  is  filled  with  two 

66 


ROLLED   BORDERS   AND   CORNER   PIECES 

six-sided  figures  formed  by  fillets  and  blind 
rolls  interlacing  and  making  a  lozenge,  which 
holds  the  owner's  name,  "Miss  Hall,"  in 
gold  ;  at  four  corners  are  small  flowers,  tooled 
in  gold ;  marbled  end-papers. 

95  Autograph    Album.        Probably 
bound  in  New  York  about  1832. 

lO^xSJ  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight-grained  mo- 
rocco, with  double  gold  rolled  border,  inter- 
rupted at  the  comers  by  gold  tooled  squares ; 
narrow  gold  inner  border  of  interlacement  de- 
sign ;  back  with  two  narrow  rolls  often  re- 
peated, fillets,  and  two  small  panels  gold 
tooled ;  title  in  center ;  owner's  name  in  center 
of  upper  cover ;  blue  end-papers.  The  prin- 
cipal gold  roll  seems  to  be  the  same  as  that 
used  by  Champley  in.Nos.  36  and  37  with  one 
edge  cut  off. 


67 


BINDINGS  ORNAMENTED 
BY  FILLETS 

A  LARGE  class  of  bindings  depend  for  their 
decoration  upon  the  use  of  fillets,  either  alone, 
or  in  combination  with  tools,  varying  from 
some  of  the  simplest  to  some  of  the  most 
elaborate  examples.  A  favorite  use  of  the 
fillet  in  America  was  its  introduction  in  out- 
lining panels,  broken  at  the  corners  by  tools, 
in  the  manner  of  Lewis  and  his  followers  in 
England. 

96  Macomb,  Alexander 

A  Treatise  on  Martial  Law,  and 
Courts- Martial;  as  practised  in  the 
United  States  of  America  .  .  . 
Charleston,  (S.  C.)  Printed  and  pub- 
lished, for  the  Author,  by  J.  Hoff 
.    .    .  1809.  87x5^  inches. 

Bound  in  red,  straight- grainedjmorocco,  with 
single  fillets  on  sides,  and  the  back  orna- 
mented with  rolls,  fillets,  a  cannon,  and  other 
decoration  in  gold.  The  upper  cover  bears 
the  inscription  in  gold,  *'  Major  General 
Samuel  Smith  from  the  Author  Major 
Macomb."  Probably  an  early  example  of 
binding  in  the  South. 

68 


BINDINGS    ORNAMENTED    BY    FILLETS 

97  Prayer-Book 

Livre  contenant  les  Prieres  publiques 
.  .  .  Pour  r  Usage  de  1'  Eglise 
Protestante  Frangoise  du  Saint- 
Esprit  h  la  Nouvelle-York.  A  la 
Nouvelle- York :  De  1'  Imprimerie  de 
Robert  Wilson,   1803.    8|-x  5  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson,  straight-grained  morocco, 
decorated  with  single  fillets;  center  panel 
with  narrow,  gold  rolled  border,  inclosing  the 
owner's  name  and  date  of  binding:  "John 
D.Wolfe.  1817";  marbled  end-papers  and 
edges. 

98  Belknap,  Jeremy 

Sacred  Poetry  .  .  .  Boston :  Pub- 
lished by  Thomas  Wells  .  .  .  Lincoln 
&  Edmands,  Printers.     1820. 

6  X  3f  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  bordered  by  sin- 
gle fillets,  with  name  of  owner,  "  R.  Water- 
ston,"  in  gold  lengthwise  in  center;  back 
with  fillets,  gold  stars  and  small  tools ;  name 
of  author  on  central  raised  band ;  marbled 
end-papers. 

99  Thacher,  Samuel  Cooper 
Sermons  .  .  .  Boston :   Published  by 
Wells  and  Lilly.     1824.     First  edi- 
tion. 8^  X  5^  inches. 

69 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Bound  in  purple  calf,  bordered  by  single 
gold  lines ;  back  divided  by  broad  gold  tooled 
bands  into  compartments  containing  gold 
tooled  panels ;  marbled  end-papers  and  edges. 


loo  The  Atlantic  Souvenir;  a  Christ- 
mas and  New  Year's  Offering.  1828. 
Philadelphia:  Carey,  Lea  &  Carey. 
"Presentation  plate,"  engravings  by 
Durand,  Longacre,  Ellis,  Kearny, 
and  Maverick,  and  lithograph  by 
Pendleton. 

5f  x3i  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue  morocco,  with  narrow 
gold  rolled  border  of  interlacement  design, 
and  center  panel  formed  by  gold  fillets  broken 
at  the  corners  by  a  combination  of  three  gold 
tools ;  back  ornamented  with  a  wide  gold 
roll ;  lining  of  old-rose  watered  silk. 

This  is  the  third  annual  volume  of  the 
"  Atlantic  Souvenir. ^^ 


10 1  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
Stereotyped  by  D.  &  G.  Bruce,  New- 
York.  New- York:  Published  by 
Caleb  Bartlett.     1830. 

6|-  X  3f  inches. 
Bound  in  dark  red  straight-grained  morocco, 
70 


BINDINGS    ORNAMENTED    BY    FILLETS 

with  border  formed  by  two  gold  lines,  broken 
at  the  corners  by  gold  tools  in  the  manner 
used  in  England  by  Charles  Lewis  and  his 
followers ;  name  of  owner,  with  date  of  bind- 
ing, "M.  B.  Baury.  1832."  in  gold  in  center; 
back  in  compartments  elaborately  gold  tooled ; 
marbled  end-papers. 

102  Eaton,  B.  A. 

The  Minstrel  and  other  Poems  .  .  . 
Boston  :  Russell,  Odiorne,  and  Com- 
pany.    1833.  5|-x3f  inches. 

Bound  in  maroon  morocco,  with  straight 
and  curved  interlacing  bands,  formed  by  gold 
lines,  and  gold  fleurons,  not  unlike  a  Groher 
binding,  and  greatly  resembling  some  of  the 
volumes  bound  for  Henry  II ;  in  the  oval 
formed  at  the  center  is  a  gold  harp ;  back 
gold  rolled  in  corresponding  design,  with  title 
lengthwise  in  center ;  marbled  end-papers. 

Mr.  Andrews  writes  of  this  volume  that  it  is 
"  at  least  an  approach  to  the  bindings  which 
the  collector  accepts  and  places  on  his  shelves, 
because  they  are  examples,  if  not  elaborate 
ones,  of  book-binding  practised  as  an  Art,  and 
not  as  a  Trade.  The  design  ...  is  surpris- 
ingly Aldine  in  character,  and  cleanly  tooled." 

The  binding  is  reproduced  in  his  Bibliopegy 
in  the  United  States, 


71 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

103  The  Religious  Souvenir  ...  for 

mdcccxxxiv.  Edited  by  G.  T.  Bedell . . . 
. . .  Philadelphia:  Published  by  Key  & 
Biddle.  1834.  [Printed  by  T.  K. 
Collins  &  Co.]  Frontispiece  and 
title-page  engraved  by  Ellis,  and  en- 
gravings by  Tucker,  Neagle,  Long- 
acre,  Smillie  and  Lawson. 

6^x3!-  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson  morocco,  with  blind 
rolled  and  filleted  border  and  blind  tooled  at 
the  corners;  a  center  panel  is  formed  by 
single  gold  lines  broken  at  the  corners  by  small 
gold  tools ;  an  unusual  back  ornamented  with 
gold  scrolls,  within  which  are  the  title  and 
imprint ;  yellow  end-papers. 

104  Bible 

The  English  Version  of  the  Polyglot 
Bible  .  .  .  Stereotyped  by  L.  Johnson. 
Philadelphia :  Published  by  Desilver, 
Thomas,  &  Co.  .  .  .  1835.  Frontis- 
pieces and  title  vignette  engraved 
by  G.  B.  Ellis.  Si^si  inches. 

Bound  in  maroon  Turkey  morocco,  with 
border  of  four  gold  lines,  broken  at  the  corners 
by  gold  tools  and  gouges  which  give  a  curv- 
ing effect  to  the  whole  border ;  name  of  the 
owner,  "  Sarah  J.  Bigelow,"  lengthwise  in  gold 
on  upper  cover ;  back  in  compartments  gold 

72 


BINDINGS    ORNAMENTED    BY    FILLETS 

Stamped,  with  small  blind  tools  at  the  centers ; 
light  gray  end-papers.  The  leather  is  of  the 
same  color  and  quality  as  that  used  upon 
another  copy  of  the  same  work,  No.  87. 


105  Sigourney,  Lydia  Huntley 

Letters  to  Young  Ladies  .  .  .  New- 
York  :  Harper  &  Brothers  .  .  . 
1837.     Third  edition. 

74  x4f  inches. 

Bound  in  bright  cherry  calf,  with  panel 
formed  by  groups  of  three  blind  and  three 
gold  Hues,  connected  at  the  comers  by  single 
gold  lines.  Between  the  two  groups  is  a 
broad  band  of  gold ;  back  with  broad  raised 
bands  blind  tooled,  and  two  gold  tooled 
panels,  title  in  center;  yellow  end-papers 
covered  with  small  brown  figures,  a  slight 
variation  of  the  pattern  of  No.  91,  another 
copy  of  the  same  work.  The  narrow  roll  on 
the  edges  and  the  inside  of  the  covers  is 
identical  in  the  two  volumes. 


106  The  Gift :  a  Christmas  and  New 
Year's  Present  for  1839.  Edited 
by  Miss  LesHe.  Philadelphia:  E.  L. 
Carey  &  A.  Hart.  [C.  Sherman 
and  Co.,  Printers.]  Frontispiece  and 
plates  engraved  by  John  Cheney, 
J.  B.  Forrest,   J.  L  Pease,    A.  W. 

73 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Graham,  R.  W.  Dodson,  A.  Lawson 
and  W.  E.  Tucker,     y^  x  4|-  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  morocco,  with  border 
of  bhnd  fillets  and  small  flowers  at  the  cor- 
ners; a  center  panel  is  formed  by  a  blind 
roll,  within  gold  fillets,  decorated  at  the 
corners  by  gold  tools;  back  in  gold  tooled 
panels ;  yellow  end-papers. 

107  Crashaw,  Richard 

Steps  to  the  Temple  .  .  .  London, 
Printed  for  Humphrey  Mofeley,  and 
are  to  be  fold  at  his  Shop  at  the 
Princes  Armes  in  St.  Pauls  Church- 
yard. 1648.  Second  edition,  with 
title-page  engraved  by  Thomas 
Cross.  5-J  X  3^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  Turkey  morocco,  with  double 
border  of  fillets,  connected  at  the  corners  by 
single  lines ;  back  in  filleted  panels ;  marbled 
end-papers. 

George  T.  Strong's  copy,  with  his  auto- 
graph and  the  date,  "  1844,"  on  the  title-page. 
Probably  bound]  in  New  York  at  about  that 
date. 

108  Crashaw,  Richard 

Carmen  Deo  Nostro,  Te  Decet 
Hymnus,  Sacred  Poems  ...  At 
Paris,  By  Peter  Targa,  Printer  to 
the  Archbishope  of  Paris,  in  S.  Vic- 

74 


BINDINGS    ORNAMENTED    BY    FILLETS 

tors  ftreete  at  the  golden  fonne. 
1652.  First  edition,  with  illustra- 
tions engraved  by  Crashaw  and 
others.  6^x4-^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  Turkey  morocco,  with  border 
of  fillets  and  central  panel  formed  by  gold 
tools;  back  in  gold  tooled  compartments; 
marbled  end-papers. 

George  T.  Strong's  copy,  with  his  auto- 
graph and  the  date,  "  1844,"  on  the  title-page. 
Probably  bound  for  Mr.  Strong  at  about  that 
time. 

Habington,  William 

Castara  .  .  .  London :  Printed  by  T. 
Cotes,  for  Will  Cooke:  and  are  to 
be  fold  at  his  Shop  neere  Fernivals- 
InneGatein  Holburne.  1640.  Third 
edition,  with  title-page  engraved  by 
William  Marshall.       5^  x  3^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  Turkey  morocco,  with  border 
of  gold  and  blind  fillets,  and  slightly  blind 
tooled  at  the  comers ;  lozenge  in  the  center 
formed  by  double  gold  lines ;  back  in  filleted 
panels ;  yellow  end-papers. 

George  T.  Strong's  copy.  The  resemblance 
of  the  leather,  the  gold  roll  on  the  inside  of 
the  covers,  and  the  general  workmanship  show 
that  the  present  volume  and  Nos.  107  and  108 
were  probably  bound  for  Mr.  Strong  by  the 
same  binder  and  at  the  same  time — about 
1844. 

75 


STAMPED  BINDINGS 

Stamped  bindings  were  not  used  to  any 
extent  in  America  until  the  second  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  when  they  became 
particularly  popular  for  the  annual  "gift 
books"  of  which  this  period  was  prohfic.  "  It 
is  not  intended  .  .  .  ,"  says  Mr.  Andrews,  "to 
convey  the  impression,  that  a  stamped  bind- 
ing is  entirely  devoid  of  artistic  quality.  In 
the  production  of  a  stamped  binding,  taste  in 
design,  as  well  as  a  high  degree  of  mechanical 
skill  and  accuracy,  may  be  displayed." 

iio  Arabian  Nights 

The  Arabian  Nights  Entertainments 
.  .  .  Philadelphia:  R.  W.  Pomeroy 
.  .  .  1826.  Six  volumes,  with  title- 
pages  and  plates  engraved  by  G.  B. 
Ellis,  F.  Kearny,  J . W.  Steel,  and  J. 
Nesmith.  6|-  x  4  inches. 

Bound  in  light  brown  calf,  with  narrow 
gold  rolled  border  and  large  cathedral  stamp, 
filling  the  entire  covers ;  back  in  gold  tooled 
compartments,  and  gold  rolled  at  head  and 
foot ;  marbled  end-papers.  The  blind  roll  on 
the  insides  of  the  covers,  and  the  gold  rolls 
of  the  edges,  borders,  and  back,  were  all  used 
by  Megarey  in  New  York  at  about  this  period, 
and  the  books  greatly  resemble  some  of  his 
work. 

76 


STAMPED  BINDINGS 

111  Bible 

The  English  Version  of  the  Polyglot 
Bible  .  .  .  Stereotyped  by  L.  John- 
son. Philadelphia:  Published  by 
Desilver,  Jr.  &  Thomas  .  .  .  1834. 
Frontispiece  and  title  vignette  en- 
graved by  G.  B.  Ellis. 

5f  X3I  inches. 

Bound  in  green  Turkey  morocco  with  blind 
rolled  and  filleted  border,  and  center  panel, 
consisting  of  straight  and  curved  lines  and 
floral  ornaments  all  in  gold ;  back  gold  and 
blind  rolled ;  yellow  end-papers. 

112  Prayer-Book 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
Stereotyped  by  D.  &  G.  Bruce, 
New- York.  New- York:  R.Bartlett 
&  S.  Raynor  .  .  .  1834.  Title-page 
engraved  by  Illman  &  Pilbrow. 

5:^x3^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  center  panel 
outlined  by  blind  stamped  frame,  small  gold 
tooled  flowers  at  the  center  of  each  side  of 
the  panel ;  back  ornamented  with  gold  in  an 
unusual  fashion;  cream  colored  end-papers. 

113  The  Gift:  a  Christmas  and  New 
Year's  Present  for  1836.  Edited 
by  Miss   Leslie.     Philadelphia:    E. 

77 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

L.  Carey  &  A.  Hart.  [C.  Sherman 
&  Co.  Printers.]  Frontispiece  and 
plates  engraved  by  J.  Cheney,  T.  B. 
Welch,  W.  E.  Tucker,  G.  B.  Ellis, 
Oscar  A.  Lawson,  A.  W.  Graham, 
and  T.  Illman.  6:^x4  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  with  sides  entirely 
covered  with  large  embossed  design,  con- 
sisting of  floral  border  and  inner  frame- 
work surrounding  an  oval  in  the  center,  con- 
taining the  American  eagle,  and  the  words 
"  Gaskill,  Binder" ;  back  blind  stamped  with 
urn  holding  flowers  and  foliage,  and  lettered 
in  gold ;  white  end-papers,  covered  with 
small  brown  figures  in  same  design  as  that 
used  in  Mrs.  Sigoumey's  Letters,  (Nos.  91 
and  105.) 

This  is  the  first  volume  of  The  Gift, 
an  annual  of  which  the  editor  writes  in  the 
preface :  "  No  expense,  no  pains  have  been 
spared  in  the  endeavour  to  render  it  in  every 
respect  deserving  the  approbation  of  its  pur- 
chasers." Of  the  frontispiece-portrait  of 
Fanny  Kemble,  painted  by  Sully  and  en- 
graved by  John  Cheney,  Miss  Leslie  says 
that  it  is  "  a  splendid  demonstration  of  the 
beautiful  union  of  the  graphic  arts,  as  they 
flourish  on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and 
is  equally  honorable  to  the  taste  and  genius 
of  the  painter,  and  to  the  correct  eye  and 
exquisite  skill  of  the  engraver." 


78 


STAMPED  BINDINGS 

114  The  Magnolia.  1836.  Edited 
by  Henry  W.  Herbert.  New-York : 
Monson  Bancroft  .  .  .  [Wm.  Van 
Norden,  Print]  Frontispiece,  title, 
and  engravings  by  A.  B.  Durand,  J. 
W.  Casilear,  J.  A.  Rolph,  T.  Kelly, 
A.  W.  Graham,  G.  Parker,  J.  Smillie 
and  J.  E.  F.  Prud'homme. 

7|^x  5  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue  morocco,  with  covers 
decorated  with  large  stamped  design,  con- 
sisting of  a  border  of  conventional  vines  and 
leaves  with  a  gold  magnolia  in  the  center; 
back  decorated  in  gold  with  an  eagle  holding 
in  its  beak  a  chain  whose  links  extend  the 
length  of  the  back,  some  of  them  containing 
the  lettering. 

115  The  National  Portrait  Gallery 

of  Distinguished  Americans.  Con- 
ducted by  James  B.  Longacre,  Phil- 
adelphia :  and  James  Herring,  New 
York  .  .  .  Philadelphia,  James  B. 
Longacre.  New  York,  James  Her- 
ring. 1839.  Volume  IV,  with  en- 
graved title-page,  and  portraits  by 
Longacre  and  others. 

8f  X  5^  inches. 

Bound  in  red  morocco,  embossed  in  man- 
ner  similar   to    No.  113,  but   more  elabor- 

79 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

ately;  of  the  medallion  centerpiece,  repre- 
senting Aurora  in  her  car,  Mr.  Andrews 
says  that  it  links  the  volume  "  in  a  measure 
to  the  highly  prized  bindings  said  to  have  be- 
longed to  Demetrio  Canevari,  physician  to 
Pope  Urban  VIIL" 

In  their  Address  in  this  fourth  volume  of 
The  National  Portrait  Gallery^  the  editors 
say :  "  The  materials,  both  pictoral  and  lit- 
erary .  .  .  have  been  obtained  at  a  cost  of 
labor,  time,  and  money,  very  far  surpassing 
any  calculation  that  could  have  been  made  at 
the  inception  of  the  work."  Of  the  engrav- 
ing of  the  portraits  Mr.  D.  McN.  Stauffer 
writes :  "  Longacre  set  the  standard  of  en- 
graving so  high,  that  after  employing  the  best 
engravers  in  this  country,  he  was  compelled 
to  induce  others  to  come  from  Europe  es- 
pecially for  this  purpose.  He  engraved  a 
number  of  these  himself  and  drew  the  origi- 
nals for  other  engravers;  and  taken  as  a 
whole  it  was  the  best  series  of  portraits  en- 
graved in  the  United  States  up  to  that  time." 

A  similar  binding  on  another  copy  of  this 
work  is  reproduced  in  Bibliopegy  in  the  United 
States  by  W.  L.  Andretvs. 

ii6  The  Gift:  a  Christmas  and  New 
Year's  Present  for  1840.  Edited  by 
Miss  Leslie.  Philadelphia:  Carey 
&  Hart.  [C.  Sherman  and  Co. 
Printers.]  Frontispiece,  engraved 
title-page  and  plates  by  John  Che- 
80 


STAMPED  BINDINGS 

ney,  J.  B.  Forrest,  J.  B.  Danforth, 
A.  Lawson,  J.  Andrews,  and  J.  I. 
Pease.  7i^5  inches. 

Bound  in  dark  blue,  straight-grained  mo- 
rocco, with  border  of  wide  gold  band  and 
fillets ;  sides  covered  with  large  stamped  de- 
sign of  flowers,  fruits,  birds,  and  animals ;  in 
the  center  is  the  bust  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  with 
laurel  branches,  a  harp,  trumpet,  and  sword ; 
back  decorated  with  pattern  of  intertwining 
flowers  and  leaves ;  all  in  gold. 

117  The  Gift:  a  Christmas  and  New- 
Year's  Present  for  1842.  Philadel- 
phia: Carey  &  Hart.  [C.  Sher- 
man and  Co.,  Printers.]  Frontis- 
piece and  plates  engraved  by  John 
Cheney,  J.  I.  Pease,  W.  E.  Turner, 
A.  Lawson  and  J.  B.  Forrest. 

yi  X  4|-  inches. 

Bound  in  cream-colored  morocco,  with 
gold  band  about  the  outside  of  the  cover  con- 
taining  the  name  of  the  binder  "S.  Moore, 
Binder,  Phila.,"  large  center  and  corner 
pieces  formed  by  a  blind  stamp  on  a  gold 
ground ;  back  decorated  in  similar  fashion ; 
yellow  end-papers. 


8z 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 


ii8  Cowper,  William,   and   Thom- 
son, James 

The  Works  of  Cowper  and  Thom- 
son .  .  .  Philadelphia:  Grigg  & 
Elliot  .  .  .  1845.  [T.  K.  &  P.  S. 
Collins,  Printers.]  Frontispiece  by 
Longacre.  9  x  6|^  inches. 

Bound  in  bright  green  calf,  with  border  of 
blind  band  and  fillet,  and  sides  decorated  with 
a  large  gold  stamp  of  branches,  crescents,  and 
straight  and  curved  lines,  forming  a  frame  for 
an  oblong  floral  design  in  the  center ;  back 
decorated  in  corresponding  fashion ;  yellow 
end-papers. 

119  Prayer-Book. 

The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  .  .  . 
Hartford,  Ct.  S.  Andrus  &  Son. 
King  &  Baird,  Printers,  Philada. 
1847.  Frontispiece  and  plate  en- 
graved by  Balch,  Stiles  &  Co. 

6:jX4  inches. 

Bound  in  hght  brown  calf,  with  sides 
entirely  covered  with  gold,  and  then  blind 
stamped,  leaving  a  small  panel  for  the  name 
in  the  center ;  back  with  three  panels  treated 
like  the  covers ;  light  green  end-papers. 


82 


STAMPED    BINDINGS 

1 20  A  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Rev. 
John  Collins  .  .  .  Cincinnati:  Pub- 
lished by  Swormstedt  and  Power 
.  .  .  R.  P.  Thompson,  Printer. 
1849.  Portrait  engraved  by  Jewett 
and  Anderson.  6x4  inches. 

Bound  in  crimson  Turkey  morocco,  with 
border  of  gold  fillets,  and  sides  decorated  with 
gold  stamped  frame-like  design  of  delicate 
leaves  and  flowers,  leaving  an  open  space  in 
the  center;  back  in  compartments,  gold 
tooled ;  rose-colored  end-papers.  A  gold 
roll  on  the  insides  of  the  covers  is  the  same 
as  that  used  by  a  Philadelphia  binder  in  No. 
89  and  also  like  the  narrow  gold  roll  of 
No.  82. 

12  1  Pollok,  Robert 

The  Course  of  Time  .  .  .  New- 
York  :  C.  Wells,  [n.d.]  Portrait  en- 
graved by  T.  S.  Woodcock  and 
title-page  and  plates  engraved  by 
Ellis  and  others. 

6f  x4^  inches. 

Bound  in  black,  straight-grained  morocco, 
with  large  floral  decoration  surrounding  a 
cartouche,  stamped  in  the  centers  of  the 
covers ;  back  gold  rolled  and  with  two  gold 
tooled  panels;  title  in  center;  brown  end- 
papers. 

83 


CURIOSITIES  OF  BOOK- 
BINDING 

122  The  Rainbow  1847.  Edited  by 
A.  J.  McDonald.  Albany:  A.  L. 
Harrison.  New- York,  Bell  and 
Gould,  1847.  Title-page  and  plates 
engraved  by  James  Duthie  and  F.  B. 
Nichols.  8  X  scinches. 

Bound  in  cream-colored  calf,  stamped  and 
colored  to  imitate  a  mosaic  binding ;  on  the 
back,  at  the  head,  "  A.  L.  Harrison,  Binder," 
below,  "  Patent  stereographic  binding " ; 
end-papers  stamped  to  imitate  a  doublure. 

Of  a  volume  of  The  Rainbow  for  the  fol- 
lowing year,  bound  in  the  same  manner,  but 
with  different  coloring,  of  which  he  gives  a 
reproduction  in  his  Bibliopegy  in  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Andrews  says :  "  We  now  come  to 
an  exhibition  of  Yankee  ingenuity  applied 
to  bibliopegy,  which  might  be  described  as 
book-cover  decoration  made  easy.  But  the 
name  bestowed  upon  the  process  by  its  shrewd 
inventor  is  Patent  Stereographic  Binding.  The 
presumed  advantage  of  the  process  was,  I 
understand,  the  facility  with  which,  by  the 
application  of  different  colors,  to  the  compart- 
ments, mapped  out  by  one  and  the  self-same 
brass  stamp,  a  surprising,  and  we  may  add  a 

84 


CURIOSITIES  OF  BOOKBINDING 

Startling  variety  of  effects,  could  be  produced. 
This  parody  upon  the  Art  of  bookbinding 
seems  to  have  met  with  the  disfavor  it  de- 
served." 

123  Events  in  Paris  during  the  26, 
27,  28  and  29  of  July,  1830,  by  sev- 
eral eye  Witnesses  .  .  .  Translated 
from  the  fourth  Paris  edition.  Bos- 
ton :  Published  by  Carter  and 
Hendee.  Baltimore,  Charles  Car- 
ter. 1830.  [Printed  by  I.  R.  Butts, 
Boston.]  6x4  inches. 

Bound  in  half  calf.  The  leather  and  the 
marbled  paper  are  divided  into  thirds,  one 
blue,  one  white,  and  one  red.  On  the  upper 
cover  is  a  calfskin  label  with  the  name  of  the 
owner,  "E.  Henderson  Otis."  The  tricolor 
effect  is  carried  out  in  the  paper  on  which  the 
book  is  printed,  the  first  third  being  blue,  the 
second,  white,  and  the  third,  red— in  the 
manner  practised  in  France.  The  end-papers 
are  different,  and  are  in  shades  of  blue,  white, 
and  red. 

The  owner  of  the  book,  whose  name  also 
appears  in  autograph  on  the  title,  was  Eliza 
^  Henderson  Otis,  wife  of  the  second  Harrison 
Gray  Otis.  She  was  the  first  to  celebrate 
Washington's  birthday  regularly,  and  finally 
induced  the  legislature  to  make  it  a  legal 
holiday. 


85 


ORIGINAL  BILLS  OF  VALEN- 
TINE NUTTER,  BINDER 

124  Nutter,  Valentine 

Receipted  bill  for  binding  four 
"Quarto  Books" and  "Putting  i  Par 
of  Clasps  upon  a  Bible,"  amounting 
to  ";^o-i9-6,"  dated  "New  York 
Sept.  27  1773." 

Isaiah  Thomas  speaks  of  Nutter  as  a  book- 
binder and  bookseller  doing  business  in  New 
York,  opposite  the  Coffee- House  Bridge,  in 

1774- 

His  advertisement  appears  in  The  New 
York  Journal,  October  19  and  26,  1775  : 

"Just  published  and  are  to  be  sold  by 
Valentine  Nutter,  Book  Binder,  Opposite  the 
Coffee  House  [a  Hst  of  books  follows]  .  .  . 
as  he  continues  to  carry  on  the  book  binding 
business  in  all  its  branches,  he  hopes  for  the 
continuance  of  his  former  customers,  and  the 
public  in  general  being  determined  to  do  his 
work  as  good  and  cheap  as  can  be  done  in 
the  city." 

125  Nutter,  Valentine 

Account  against  Hugh  Gaine  for 
binding  Chesterfield's  Letters,  1775- 
76. 

86 


BILLS  OF  VALENTINE  NUTTER 

The  account  runs  from  July  15,  1775,10 
Junes,  17  76,  during  which  time  Nutter  bound 
250  "Setts  of  Chesterfield's  Letters  <a)  }4  p' 
vol."  To  this  is  added  "  Amount  of  Account 
Rendred    from   the    3d  Jan'y  ...  as   per 

Book ;^i8o  .  .  .   9—5 

"Add  Chesterfield  to  this. . .     74  —  14 — o 

;^255  —  3—5. 
"  Confra 

"  By  Cash  and  Sundries  at 

Sundry  Times jC^3^ —    9 — o 

"  Ballance  Due  to  Nutter  is     122  —  14  —  5 

;^255  —   3  —5- 
"  Note    the    above    account  was     never 
settled  with  Mr.  Gaine. 
"  New  York  20th  Feb'y,  1 790. 

"  Valentine  Nutter." 


87 


AMERICAN  WORKS  ON 
BOOKBINDING 

126  Hazen,  Edward 

The  Panorama  of  Professions  and 
Trades ;  or  Every  Man's  Book  .  .  . 
Embellished  with  eighty-two  En- 
gravings, Philadelphia:  Uriah  Hunt 
&  Son  .  .  .  [about  1836].  320  pp. 
Illustrations.  7i^x6  inches. 

Pages  189-194:  The  Paper-maker  and 
the  Bookbinder. 

This  description  of  bookbinding  is  quoted 
in  Bibliopegy  in  the  United  States,  by  Mr. 
Andrews,  who  says  that  it  is,  so  far  as  he 
is  aware,  the  first  treatise  on  the  subject 
printed  in  the  United  States,  "and  considering 
the  backward  state  of  the  Art  in  America  at 
the  time  it  was  written,  it  is  noteworthy  for 
the  general  knowledge  of  the  subject  it 
evinces." 

127  Nicholson,  James  Bartram 

A  Manual  of  the  Art  of  Bookbind- 
ing .  .  .  Philadelphia :  Henry  Carey 
Baird.  .  .  .  1856.    318  pp.    Illustra- 

88 


AMERICAN  WORKS  ON  BOOKBINDING 

tions,  plates  representing  styles  of 
bindings  and  binders'  tools,  and 
samples  of  marbled  papers. 

7f  x5-g-  inches. 

Bound  in  black  morocco,  with  wide  border 
of  interlacing  bands  formed  by  gold  lines; 
small  gold  tools  in  the  squares  formed  at  the 
comers;  back  broken  into  panels,  with  the 
same  gold  tools  at  their  centers ;  doubled 
with  citron  calf,  with  wide  gold  dentelle  bor- 
der, and  outer  border  of  red,  gold  rolled; 
marbled  end-papers. 

Mr,  Nicholson's  own  copy,  with  his  por- 
trait, his  autograph  letter  to  Professor  G. 
Allen,  and  a  reproduction  of  his  last  binding 
inserted.  It  is  preserved  in  a  slip  case  made 
for  it  by  Nicholson's  son,  John  P.  Nicholson. 

James  Bartram  Nicholson  was  bom  in  St. 
Louis  in  1820.  He  was  a  descendant  of 
John  Nicholson,  a  gunsmith  who  made  the 
first  firelocks  for  the  Pennsylvania  committee 
of  safety,  and  afterward  made  others  for  the 
Continental  Congress.  James  was  educated 
in  Philadelphia,  where  he  later  set  up  a 
bindery,  and  became  distinguished  for  his 
fine  work.  He  was  twice  an  unsuccessful 
candidate  for  Congress.  Aside  from  his 
volume  on  bookbinding,  which  is  the  most 
exhaustive  American  treatise  on  the  subject, 
he  delivered  numerous  lectiures  and  ad- 
dresses. 


89 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

128  DuBois,  Henri  P^ne 

Historical  Essay  on  the  Art  of  Book- 
binding .  .  .  New  York:  Bradstreet 
Press.     1883.     42  pp. 

8 J  X  5f  inches. 

129  Hoe,  Robert 

A  Lecture  on  Bookbinding  as  a  Fine 
Art  delivered  before  the  Grolier 
Club,  February  26,  1885  .  .  .  New 
York:  Published  by  the  Grolier  Club 
1886.  [3]11.,  36  pp.,  [i]l.  63  plates 
of  facsimile.  i  Oj  x  8 J  inches. 

One  of  two  hundred  copies  on  Holland 
paper. 

130  Matthews,  W^illiam 

Modern  Bookbinding  practically 
considered.  A  Lecture  read  before 
the  Grolier  Club  of  New- York, 
March  25,  1885,  with  Additions  and 
new  Illustrations  .  .  .  New  York: 
The  Grolier  Club.  1889.  [2]  1., 
96  pp.  Frontispiece  and  eight 
plates  of  facsimile.      lO:^  x  8:j  inches. 

One  of  three  hundred  copies  on  Holland 
paper. 


90 


AMERICAN  WORKS  ON  BOOKBINDING 

131  Andrews,  William  Loring 

A  Short  Historical  Sketch  of  the 
Art  of  Bookbinding  by  William  L. 
Andrews  With  a  Description  of  the 
Prominent  Styles  by  William  Mat- 
thews .  .  .  New  York  1895.  5^  PP-» 
6  plates  of  facsimile.  7^  x  5f  inches. 
One  of  fifty  copies  on  Japan  paper. 

132  Matthews,  James  Brander 

Bookbindings  old  and  new  Notes 
of  a  Booklover.  With  an  Account 
of  the  Grolier  Club  of  New  York .  .  . 
New  York.  Macmillan  and  Co  .  .  . 
1895.  xiii,  342  pp.  Frontispiece, 
illustrations  and  plates  of  facsimile. 

7^x5f  inches. 

133  Andrews,  William  Loring 

Bibliopegy  in  the  United  States,  and 
kindred  subjects  .  .  .  Dodd,  Mead 
&  Company  New- York  1902.  xix, 
[i]  pp.,  [i]  1.,  128,  [i]  pp.  En- 
graved title-page,  plates  of  facsimile 
(partly  colored),  vignettes. 

9  x  5f  inches. 

One  of  one  hundred  and  forty-one  copies 
on  Van  Gelder  paper. 

91 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 


134  Du  Bois,  Henri  P^ne 

American  Bookbindings  in  the  Li- 
brary of  Henry  William  Poor  .  .  . 
illustrated  in  Gold-leaf  and  Colors 
by  Edward  Bierstatd.  Printed  at 
the  Marion  Press,  Jamaica  .  .  . 
Published  by  George  C.  Smith  .  .  . 
New- York  1903.  [8]  11,  ']']  pp. 
Colored  frontispiece,  38  colored 
plates  of  facsimile.       9f  x  6^  inches. 

One  of  thirty-five  copies  on  imperial  Japan 
paper. 

135  Zahn,  Otto 

On  Art  Binding,  A  Monograph  .  .  . 
Memphis,  S.  C.  Toof  &  Company 
1904.  Colored  frontispiece,  illustra- 
tions, plates  of  facsimile. 

7¥X5t  inches. 

One  of  seventy-five  copies  on  Japanese 
vellum. 

136  Dana,  John  Cotton 

Notes  on  Bookbinding  for  Libra- 
ries .  .  .  Library  Bureau,  Chicago 
1906.  114  pp.  [2]  11.  Frontispiece, 
illustrations.  7^x5  inches. 


93 


List  of  Bookbinders  who  are  known  to 
have  worked  in  america  before  180o, 
with  the  names  of  a  few  early  nine- 
teenth-century binders.^ 

BOSTON 

1636.  John  Sanders,  bookbinder,  "took  the 
freeman's  oath  in  Boston,  in  1636,  before  any 
printing  was  done  in  the  Colonies." 

1661-1663.  John  Ratliffe  came  from  England 
for  the  purpose  of  binding  Eliot's  Indian  Bible. 
(See  Introduction.) 

1671-1672.  William  Nowell,  bookbinder, 
Thomas  Rand,  bookbinder.  In  "A  list  of 
seuerall  psons  returned  to  ye  Countie  Courts  at 
seuerall  times  not  admitted  or  aproued  of  by  ye 
select  men  of  Boston  to  be  Inhabitants  of  ye 
Towne." — Boston  Record  Commissions,  January 
sg,  167 1 -1672. 

1673.  Edmund  Ranger  "was  a  binder;  but  had 
some  small  concern  in  bookselling." — History  of 
Printing  in  America  by  Isaiah  Thomas. 

1685.  Bartholemew  Sprint.  "  George  Pordage, 
merchant,  became  surety  for  Bartholemew  Sprint, 
a  Bookbinder." — Boston  Town  Records. 

1690- 1 728.  Nicholas  Buttolph,  bookbinder, 
joined  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Company 
of  Boston  in  1692.  He  is  mentioned  by  Thomas 
as  a  printer  and  bookseller. 

1713-1761.  Daniel  Henchman,  "  Comhill,  Corner 
of  King-Street,  opposite  the  Old  Brick  Meeting- 

INo  printers  and  booksellers  are  included  in  this  list  unless  some 
reference  to  their  work  as  bookbinders  has  been  found.  The 
list  is,  necessarily,  far  from  complete. 

93 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

House,"  the  most  eminent  of  early  Boston  book- 
sellers. (See  advertisement  of  Wharton  and 
Bowes,  his  successors,  in  1761.) 

1719-1751.  Benjamin  Gray,  "Head  of  Town- 
Dock,"  was  prosecuted  for  publishing  a  libelous 
pamphlet;  "though  not  a  very  considerable  book- 
seller, was  many  years  in  trade,  and  worked  at 
bookbinding. " — Thomas. 

1723.  Nathaniel  Belknap,  "Head  of  Scarlets 
Wharf,  North  End,"  "bound  books,  but  did  not 
go  largely  into  the  sale  of  them." — Thomas. 

1723.  Joseph  Edwards,  Cornhill,  publisher,  book- 
seller,- and  binder. 

1723-1771.  Samuel  Robinson.  "He  sold  some 
books,  but  his  principal  business  was  that  of  a 
binder. " —  Thomas. 

1725- 1763.  John  Phillips,  "Stationers-Arms 
Corn-Hill,"  publisher,  bookseller,  binder,  and 
dealer  in  English  goods. 

1726- 1764.  Thomas  Hancock,  "Anne-Street,  near 
the  Draw-Bridge."  "After  being  in  trade  a  few 
years  as  a  bookseller  and  binder,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  merchandise." — Thomas. 

1726.  Bennet  Love,  "in  Anne  Street,  near  the 
Bridge.  His  principal  business  appears  to  have 
been  binding." — Thomas. 

I'jzT-i'jbd.  Nathaniel  Proctor,  "at  the  Bible 
and  Dove  in  Anne  Street, "  binder  and  bookseller. 

1728- 1771.  John  Eliot,  "at  the  Great  Elms, 
South-End,"  publisher,  bookseller,  and  binder. 
He  was  said  to  be  a  descendant  of  the  Apostle  to 
the  Indians. 

1729- 1742.  ,  Alford  Butler,  "Lower  End  of 
King-Street, "  an  apprentice  of  Henchman.  "His 
principal  business  was  binding,  but  he  published 
and  sold  a  few  books." — Thomas. 

1731-1759-  John  Pemberton,  "School  Street," 
"was  chiefly  employed  in  binding." — Thomas. 

94 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

1732.  Richard  Fry,  one  of  the  earliest  blank- 
book  manufacturers  in  Boston.  The  following 
advertisement  from  The  Rehearsal,  May,  1732,  is 
quoted  by  Thomas:  "Richard  Fry,  Stationer, 
Bookseller,  Paper  Maker  and  Rag  Merchant  from 
the  city  of  London,  keeps  at  Mr.  Tho.  Fleet's 
Printer,  at  the  Heart  and  Crown  in  Cornhill,  Bos- 
ton ;  where  said  Fry  is  ready  to  accommodate  all 
Gentlemen,  Merchants,  and  Tradesmen,  with  Setts 
of  Accompt  Books  after  the  neatest  Manner.  And 
whereas  it  has  been  the  common  Method  of  the 
most  curious  Merchants  in  Boston,  to  procure 
their  Books  from  London.  This  is  to  acquaint 
those  Gentlemen,  that  I  the  said  Fry  will  sell 
all  Sort  of  Accompt  Books  done  after  the  most 
acute  Manner,  for  Twenty  per  Cent  cheaper  than 
they  can  have  them  from  London." 

1739- 1745.  Charles  Harrison,  "over  against 
the  Brazen-Head  in  Cornhill,  was  born  and 
brought  up  a  binder  in  England.  He  settled  in 
Boston  as  a  bookseller  and  binder." —  Thomas. 

1740- 1745.  Samuel  Eliot,  Cornhill,  "was  a  con- 
siderable bookseller,  and  was  also  a  binder  and 
stationer.  He  died  May  9,  1745,  aged  32.  His 
widow  carried  on  the  business." —  Thomas. 

1743.  Walter  MacAlpine,  "near  the  Mill- 
Bridge,"  afterward  "in  Union-Street  near  the 
Town-Dock."  "  He  was  from  Scotland  and  was  a 
bookseller  and  binder.  He  removed  to  Connecti- 
cut and  died  there." —  Thomas. 

1745.  Thomas  Rand,  "  Cornhill,  near  the  sign  of 
the  Three  Nuns,"  afterward  "in  Anne-Street," 
was  by  trade  a  binder,  but  sold  stationery  and 
some  books. 

1745-  Joshua  Winter,  "Union-Street,"  book- 
seller, stationer,  and  binder. 

1749.  John  Amory,  "Union  Street,"  bookseller 
and  binder  for  a  few  years  ;  afterward  an  eminent 
merchant. 

95 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

1753-1778-  Thomas  Leveritt,  Cornhill,  "was  a 
very  respectable  bookseller,  binder,  stationer,  and 
dealer  in  English  goods." — Thomas. 

1753- 1776.  William  MacAlpine,  "Marlborough- 
Street,""  was  bred  to  binding,  &c. ,  by  his  brother 
[Walter  MacAlpine]  ;  and  became  a  considerable 
bookseller." — Thomas. 

In  1762,  he  set  up  a  printing-press.  He  was  a 
Royalist  and  left  Boston  with  the  British  troops 
in  1776. 

1755.  Timothy  White,  Marshall's  Lane,  "sold 
small  books,  but  was  chiefly  employed  about  plain 
binding. ' ' —  Thomas. 

1757- 1792.  Samuel  Webb,  "Anne-Street," binder 
and  bookseller. 

1760.  William  Lang,  "at the  Gilt- Bible,  Marlboro'- 
Street."  "He  came  from  Scotland,  and  was 
brought  up  to  binding,  which  business  he  followed 
in  Boston,  and  accompanied  it  with  bookselling." 
—  Thomas. 

1760.  William  Long.  "All  Sorts  of  Books  botind 
and  gilt  by  William  Long,  from  Edinburgh,  to  be 
found  at  Mr.  Jas.  Maye's,  at  the  Sign  of  the 
Stayes,  the  South  Side  of  the  Town-House,  Boston. 
N.  B.  Any  gentlemen  that  want  their  libraries  neatly 
gilt  off,  may  have  them  done  at  a  reasonable  rate 
by  said  Long." — The  Boston  Gazette  and  County 
Journal,  April  14,  ifbo. 

He  may  be  identical  with  the  preceding. 

1761.  Wharton  &  Bowes,  "Booksellers  and  Sta- 
tioners, Hereby  inform  the  Public,  that  they  have 
opened  the  shop  lately  in  the  Occupation  of  Daniel 
Henchman,  Esq.,  deceased,  where  they  carry  on 
the  Bookselling  and  Bookbinding  Business  .  .  . 
and  all  others,  may  depend  upon  being  supplied 
in  the  best  manner,  and  at  the  most  reasonable 
Rate." — Boston  Weekly  News- Letter,  March,  lybi. 


96 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

1762-1781.  John  Hodgson,  *' Marlborough- 
Street,"  was  bred  to  bookbinding  in  Scotland. 
"  He  was  chiefly  employed  in  this  business,  but 
sold  a  few  books.  By  permission  of  the  court  he 
took  in  shorthand  the  trial  of  the  soldiers  con- 
cerned in  the  massacre  at  Boston  on  the  evening 
of  the  5th  of  March,  1770.  He  gave  up  his  shop 
in  1768,  and  was  employed  by  John  Mein."  At  the 
close  of  an  advertisement  of  books  and  stationery 
imported  and  sold  by  Hodgson  is  the  note  :  "N.  B. 
He  binds  books  of  all  kinds,  Gilt  or  Plain 
in  the  neatest  and  best  manner."  —  Boston  Post 
Boy  &^  Advertiser,  November  12,  1764. 

1764.  Andrew  Barclay,  "at  the  Bible  in  Corn- 
hill,"  binder  and  bookseller  from  Scotland. 

1764.  Alford  Butler,  Comhill,  son  of  Alford 
Butler,  already  mentioned.  "  He  served  his  ap- 
prenticeship with  William  MacAlpine,  and  became 
a  binder  and  sold  a  few  books.  In  1774  he  re- 
moved to  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and  there 
kept  a  school  nearly  twenty  years,  after  which  he 
returned,  and  again  carried  on  business  as  form- 
erly."—  Thomas. 

1764- 1769.  John  Mein,  "  at  the  London  Bookstore, 
north  side  of  King  Street,  Boston.  Binding  work 
of  all  sorts  executed  in  the  best  and  neatest  man- 
ner." —  Postscript  to  The  Massachusetts  Gazette, 
October  j^,  1767.  Mein  was  a  Scotchman  and 
printed  in  partnership  with  John  Fleming,  and 
published  The  Boston  Chronicle,  the  Royalist 
sympathies  of  which  made  him  obnoxious,  and  he 
returned  to  Europe  in  1769. 

1767.  Joseph  Snelling,  "  Fish-Street,  Corner  of 
Boarded  Alley,"  "was  a  binder  and  sold  school 
books  and  st&tioneTy."— Thomas. 

1768.  John  Douglas.  "  This  Day  run  away  from 
the  Subscriber,  an  Apprentice  Boy,  named  John 
Douglas,  aged  about  17  years,  small,  round- 
shouldered,  wears  his  own  Hair,  very  much  ad- 
dicted to  Coughing  and  Drinking,  by  Trade  a 
Bookbinder  .  .    .  Whoever   secures  said   Runa- 

97 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

way  shall  be  handsomely  rewarded,  by  Wm. 
McAlpine." — The  Boston  Gazette  and  County 
Journal,  November  28,  1768. 

1770.  John  Langdon,  Comhill,  served  his  ap- 
prenticeship with  Wharton  and  Bowes.  He 
"sold  stationery,  and  carried  on  binding." — 
Thomas. 

1 77 1.  A.  Eluson,  Newbury  Street,  "was  born  in 
England,  and  brought  up  to  binding,  which  busi- 
ness he  followed  in  Boston,  and  sold  a  few  books. " 
—  Thomas. 

Later,  he  removed  to  Newport. 

1776.  James  While  "Would  inform  the  Public 
that  he  carries  on  the  Book-Binding  Business  in 
its  various  branches,  at  Ponars  and  Willis's  Print- 
ing Office  in  Queen  Street. 

Account  Books  ruled  and  bound  in  the  neatest 
and  genteelest  manner  —  Gilding  in  all  its 
branches." — New  England  Chronicle,  June  s^y 
1776. 

1823.     T.  H.  Burton,  binder  (leather  ticket). 


NEW  YORK 

1693 -1743.  William  Bradford,  "at  the  Sign  of 
the  Bible."  The  following  advertisement  appears 
with  regularity  in  his  Gazette,  the  publication  of 
which  began  in  1725:  "Printed  and  sold  by 
William  Bradford  in  New  York  where  advertise- 
ments are  taken  in  and  where  you  may  have  old 
books,  new  Bound,  either  Plain  or  Gilt,  and 
Money  for  Linen  Rags." 

1 73 1  - 1 734.  Joseph  Johnson,  "  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  Bookbinder,  is  now  set  up  bookbinding  for 
himself  as  usual,  and  lives  in  Duke  Street .  .  .  near 
the  Old-Slip  Market;  where  all  persons  in  Town 
or  Country  may  have  their  Books  neatly  new 
Bound  either  Plain  or  Gilt,  reasonable."  —  Nev/ 
York  Weekly  Journal,  October  7,  1^34. 
Johnson  was  made  a  freeman  in  1731. 


98 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

1735.  Henry  De  Foreest,  printer.  "Books 
neatly  Bound,  Gilded  and  Lettered  ...  by  Henry 
De  Foreest,  enquire  for  him  at  the  House  of  Peter 
Zenger,  or  at  his  House,  opposite  the  Sign  of  the 
Black- Horse." — New  York  Weekly  Journal,  June 

I745*  John  Hyndshaw,  "  Book  binder  and  Book- 
seller at  the  sign  of  the  Bible,  near  the  Old-Slip 
Market  opposite  to  Mr.  Jacob  Goelet's  in  New- 
York  .  .  .  Also  binds  Books  of  any  sort  and  old 
Bibles,  if  they  want,  may  be  made  perfect  with 
new  sheets  and  singing  Psalms,  in  the  neatest  and 
best  Manner  at  a  reasonable  Rate." — New  York 
Weekly  Post  Boy,  August  ig,  174^. 

1745-1770.  Robert  M'Alpine,  binder  and  book- 
seller in  Hanover  Square  and  Beaver  Street ;  var- 
ious advertisements  appear  in  the  New  York 
Gazette,  Mercury,  and  Weekly  Post  Boy. 

1748.  Malcolm  McEwen,  binder,  was  made  a  free- 
man in  1748. 

1752-1800,  Hugh  Gaine,  printer  and  bookseller 
(see  No.  12  of  this  exhibition). 

1757-1761.  James  Watt,  ' '  Bookbinding  in  general , 
done  with  neatness,  care,  and  expedition,  by 
James  Watt." — New  York  Mercury,  October  ij, 
^757- 

1759.  Duncan  Brown,  bookbinder  (witness  to  the 
will  of  John  Fedell,  mariner,  July  16,  1759). 

1 761.  Samuel  Brown,  "in  Maiden-Lane  near  the 
Fly-Market."  At  the  end  of  a  list  of  books  "  to 
be  sold.  Wholesale  or  Retail  "  is  the  following : 
"  Said  Brown  does  printing  and  Book-binding 
with  Care  and  Expedition."  New  York  Gazette, 
June  2g,  jj6i. 

1764.  T.  Anderton,  "  Lately  arrived  from  England 
and  is  now  at  Mr.  Charles  Gilmore's,  the  Sign  of 
the  Orange  Tree,  in  Cannon's  Wharf,  New- York, 
T.  Anderton,  Bookbinder,  letter-case  and  Pocket- 
book  maker  .  .  .  The  said  T.  Anderton  performs 

99 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

bookbinding  in  its  full  perfection  in  all  sorts  of 
plain  and  rich  bindings  .  .  .  and  rules  paper  or 
bill  books  .  .  .  &c  (as  exact  to  any  pattern)  but 
with  greater  elegance  than  if  taken  from  copper 
plate  .  .  .  Gentlemen  and  Ladies  who  please  to 
try  his  abilities  may  always  depend  on  being  well 
used  on  the  very  lowest  terms. " —  New  York  Mer- 
cury,  December  24,  1^64. 

Anderton    probably  removed    to   Philadelphia 
before  1768. 

1 765 .  Samuel  Evans,  ' '  Book-Binder  and  Stationer, 
will  remove  the  first  of  May  to  his  Shop  between 
the  Old-Slip  and  Coenties  Market." — New  York 
Gazette,  April  2^,  lyb^- 

1765.     P.  Paine,  binder,  was  made  afreeman  in  1765. 

1765.  J.  SoMERiNDYKE,  binder,  was  made  a  free- 
man in  1765. 

1773.  George  Leedell,  *'  Bookbinder,  late  of  Lon- 
don, begs  leave  to  return  his  thanks  to  his  friends 
and  customers  and  the  public  in  general  for  their 
past  favors,  and  hopes  for  the  further  continuance 
of  them." — New  York  Journal,  May  20,  177 j. 

1773-1790.  Valentine  Nutter  (see  Nos.  124  and 
125  of  this  exhibition). 

1775.  Philip  Brooks,  "  Book- Binder  from  Dublin, 
carries  on  that  business,  in  all  its  branches,  at  his 
shop  in  Dock  street.  .  .  .  He  will  study  to  give 
general  satisfaction  to  his  customers,  and  flatters 
himself  the  public  will  favor  him  with  encourage- 
ment."— New  York  Journal,  October  ig,  177s- 

1775- 1776.  William  Green,  "Bookseller  and 
Bookbinder  in  Maiden  Lane  .  .  .  All  sorts  of  Bind- 
ing executed  in  the  best  and  neatest  Manner  by 
said  W.  Green." — New  York  Journal,  November 
■^6,  I77S- 

1775- 1813.  Samuel  Loudon,  printer,  binder, 
and  bookseller.  "  Book-Binding  is  carried  on  by 
S.  Loudon,  No.  5  Water  Street.  Gentlemen  of 
the  law  may  have  books  bound  agreeable  to  their 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

orders  .  .  .  Gentlemen  who  wish  to  have  their 
Libraries  repaired  may  have  their  books  bound, 
gilded  and  lettered  in  the  neatest  manner." — New 
York  Packet^  March  20,  ijgo. 

1785.  Robert  Hodge,  38  Maiden  Lane,  publisher, 
printer,  and  binder  from  Scotland  (see  No.  8  of 
this  exhibition). 

1787-1798.  Thomas  Greenleaf,  "No.  196 
Water  Street,"  printer.  "  Bookbinding  in  all  its 
variety  is  carried  on  at  this  office,  with  neatness 
and  expedition." — New  York  Journal,  April ib, 

"  In  order  to  give  the  most  ample  satisfaction  to 
his  customers  in  his  general  business,  as  binding  is 
closely  allied  with  printing,  Mr.  Greenleaf  has  en- 
gaged a  complete  binder,  gilder,  and  ruler  at  an 
extraordinary  salary,  and  will  engage  that  every 
one  who  may  be  pleased  to  employ  him  shall  be 
satisfied,  or  no  pay.   .   .  • 

"  N.  B.  A  few  well-dressed  calf  skins  for  sale — 
wanted  several  hundred  Sheep  Skins." — New  York 
Journal,  December  21,  ijgi. 

1789 -1792.  Charles  Cleland,  "Bookbinder, 
lately  from  Edinburgh,  respectfully  informs  his 
friends  and  the  Public  that  he  has  commenced 
business  at  No.  37  Maiden  Lane." — New  York 
Journal,  November  7,  i'jg2. 

1790-1792.  Thomas  Allen,  "No.  12  Queen 
Street,"  binder  and  bookseller  (see  No.  11  of  this 
exhibition). 

1 791.  Benjamin  Gomez,  32  Maiden  Lane, 
binder  and  stationer.  "Bookbinding  carried  on 
with  neatness  and  despatch.  Orders  from  the 
country  will  be  carefully  attended  X.o.^'' —  New 
York  Journal,  April  2,  lygi. 

1795.  Samuel  Campbell,  printer,  binder,  and 
bookseller  (see  No.  16  of  this  exhibition). 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

Late  XVIII  Century. 

John  Black,  20  Little  Queen  Street. 
Alexander  Christie,  i  CliflF  Street,  and  3  Rider 

Street. 
Charles  Cliland,  15  Madison  Street. 
Peter   Kirby,  44  Crown  Street,   127  Chatham 

Street  and  ^3  Ann  St.  (also  a  bookseller  and 

stationer). 
John  Reed,  17  Water  Street  and  106  Water  Street 

(also  a  stationer). 
Edward  Wier,  52  Maiden  Lane. 

1805.  William  Swain,  received  a  gold  medal  from 
the  American  Company  of  Booksellers  for  the  best 
specimen  of  binding  executed  in  American  leather. 

i8i6(?)-i824.  George  Champley,  iq6  Broadway 
and  2  Barclay  Street  (see  Nos.  33-39  of  this  ex- 
hibition). 

1819-1821.  Henry  I.  Megarey,  138  Broadway, 
(see  Nos.  40-45  of  this  exhibition). 

1825.  Robert  Batie,  John  Bradford,  John  Day, 
Joseph  Foster,  Isaac  Peckham,  Charles 
Starr,  William  Walker,  and  William 
Wrag  (?)  (see  No.  46  of  this  exhibition). 

1825.  Wilson  &  Nichols,  "  Pine  Street,  corner  of 
Broadway"  (see  No.  46  of  this  exhibition). 

1826.  William  Walker,  32  Eldridge  Street. 

1827 - 1834(?)  C.  Brown,  "  New  York  Prot.  Epis. 
Press,  No.  8  Rector  Street,"  and  211  Water  Street 
(see  Nos.  46,  48,  and  49  of  this  exhibition). 

1827- 1828.  Levin  Turner,  183  Reed  Street 
(see  Nos.  50  and  51  of  this  exhibition). 


PHILADELPHIA 

1718.  Andrew  Bradford,  "Sign  of  the  Bible,  in 
Second-Street,"  printer,  binder,  and  bookseller. 

1729.  Benjamin  Franklin,  "in  Market-Street," 
was  a  binder  and  bookseller  as  well  as  a  printer. 
The  Pennsylvania  Gazette  was  "  Printed  by  Ben- 

102 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

jamin  Franklin,  Postmaster,  at  the  New  Printing 
Office  near  the  market,  where  advertisements  are 
taken  in  and  bookbinding  is  done  reasonably  in 
the  best  manner." 

1742.  Joseph  Goodwin,  "in  Second- Street,  "near 
Blackhorse  Alley,"  "bookseller,  binder,  and  sta- 
tioner, from  England." —  Thomas. 

1743.  J.  SCHUPPLEY,  "at  the  Sign  of  the  Book  in 
Strawberry  Alley,"  binder  and  bookseller.  He 
is  thought  to  have  been  a  German. 

1758.  Black  Harry,  "in  Laetitia  Court,"  was  a 
binder,  and  sold  a  few  books. 

1763- 1804.  Zachariah  Poulson,  "Sign  of  the 
Bible  in  Second-Street,"  a  native  of  Copenhagen, 
and  apprenticed  to  the  first  Christopher  Saur,  of 
Germantown,  He  was  a  binder,  bookseller,  and 
stationer. 

1764.  Samuel  Taylor,  "at  the  Book-in-hand, 
comer  of  Market  and  Water-Streets,"  binder  and 
bookseller. 

1 766 -1 795  William  Woodhouse,  "in  Front- 
Street,  near  Chestnut-Street,"  afterward  "near 
Market  Street,"  printer,  binder,  and  bookseller. 
He  established  the  first  slate  and  slate-pencil  man- 
ufactory in  the  United  States.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  of  the  same  name. 

1769- 1802.  Robert  Aitken,  Front  Street,  after- 
ward "in  Market  Street."  Aitken  was  a  Scotch- 
man, and  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  with 
an  Edinburgh  bookbinder.  He  came  to  Phila- 
delphia in  1769,  and  followed  the  business  of  a 
bookseller  and  binder.  In  1774  he  became  a 
printer,  and  eight  years  later  printed  and  bound 
his  famous  edition  of  the  Bible.  After  his  death 
his  business  was  continued  by  his  daughter,  Jane 
Aitken. 

1 771.  Robert  Mac  Gill,  "Comer  of  Laetitia 
Court,"  binder  and  bookseller.  He  was  after- 
ward in  Second  Street,  and  in  1778  removed  to 
New  York. 

103 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

1773.  George  Reinhold,  "in  Market- Street," 
binder  and  bookseller  ;  was  from  Germany  and 
dealt  in  Dutch  books. 

1 773 -1 78 1.  William  Trichet,  5  South  Front 
Street,  binder  and  bookseller. 

1823.  R.  De  Silver,  ho  Walnut  Street  (see  Nos. 
56  and  57  of  this  exhibition). 

1836.     Gaskill  (see  No.  113  of  this  exhibition). 

1839.  D.  W.  Gihon,  •*  S.  W.  cor.  of  George  & 
Swanwick  Street"  (see  No.  58  of  this  exhibition). 

1842.     S.  Moore  (see  No.  117  of  this  exhibition). 


ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND 

1729.  William  Parks,  printer  and  publisher  of 
the  Maryland  Gazette.  "  N.  B.  Old  Books  are 
well  bound  by  him." — Maryland  Gazette,  i^zg. 


GERMANTOWN,  PENNSYLVANIA 

1738-1758.  Christopher  Saur  or  Sower  (see 
No.  2  of  this  exhibition). 

(?)  -1777-  Christopher  Sower,  Junior.  "He 
built  a  paper  mill  on  the  Schuylkill,  and  manu- 
factured both  writing  and  printing  paper.  He 
had  previously  established  a  bindery.  He  made 
printing  ink  of  the  best  quality,  and  excellent 
lampblack  for  this  purpose.  His  presses  were 
made  under  his  own  inspection,  in  his  extensive 
establishment.  Thus  the  various  branches  of 
business  necessary  to  complete  a  printed  book 
were  executed  by  him,  or  by  his  own  immediate 
workmen.  Most  of  these  branches  he  could  per- 
form himself." — Thomas. 

About  1778.  Siebert,  a  German  bookbinder  in  Ger- 
mantown,  who  purchased  part  of  Sower's  stock. 

104 


LIST  OF  BOOKBINDERS 

ELIZABETH,  NEW  JERSEY 

1757.  John  Jones,  "in  Elizabeth  Town,  living  near 
to  Mrs.  Cheetwood's  mill."  "Bookbinding  in 
all  its  parts  performed  by  John  Jones  .  .  .  " — 
Neva  York  Mercury,  September 3, 17J7- 

ALBANY,  NEW  YORK 

1759.  Stewart  Wilson,  "  Bookbinder  and  Book- 
seller, opposite  the  main  guard,  in  Albany  .  .  . 
Said  Wilson  binds  all  kinds  of  Books  in  the  new- 
est and  neatest  manner." — New  York  Mercury, 
October  8,  lyjg. 

1820.  William  Seymour  (see  No.  55  of  this  exhi- 
bition). 

NEWBURY  PORT,  MASSACHUSETTS 

1760.  BuLKELEY  Emerson  "was  a  binder,  and  sold 
a  few  books.  He  was  the  only  one  of  the  trade 
who  did  business  in  that  place  before  1775.  The 
office  of  postmaster  was  held  by  him  many  years." 
— Thomas. 

SALEM,  MASSACHUSETTS 

1761.  Mascol  Williams  "  was  a  binder,  and  traded 
principally  in  school  books,  and  stationery."  — 
Thomas. 

1811.  Thomas  Prince,  bookbinder  (binder's 
ticket). 

CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA 

1764.  Woods,  binder  and  bookseller  from  Scot- 
land. 

1771.  James  Taylor,  "binder,  and  an  inconsid- 
erable dealer  in  books ;  he  also  was  from  Scot- 
land." —  Thomas. 

1818-1827.  Archibald  E.  Miller  (see  Nos. 
52  -  54  of  this  exhibition). 

105 


EARLY   AMERICAN    BINDINGS 

PORTSMOUTH,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 

1764.  Thomas  Furber,  "had  been  taught  plain 
binding,  and  undertook  to  connect  it  with  print- 
ing."— Thomas. 

WORCESTER,  MASSACHUSETTS 

1775-1802.  Isaiah  Thomas,  publisher,  printer, 
and  binder  (see  No.  15  of  this  exhibition). 

HUDSON,  NEW  YORK 

1805.     Parson  (see  No.  31  of  this  exhibition). 

NEWARK,  NEW  JERSEY 

1808.  Benjamin  Olds,  "Sign  of  the  Bible"  (see 
No.  32  of  this  exhibition). 

In   1836    Benjamin  Olds's  bookstore   was    at 
279  Broad  Street  .    .    .   Later  it  was  Olds  &>  Son. 

PORTLAND,  MAINE 

1832.  George  Colman  (see  No.  59  of  this  exhibi- 
tion). 


106 


^y 


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